Hardinville, Tennessee facts for kids
Hardinville (sometimes called Hardinsville) was an early town founded in 1817 in Hardin County, Tennessee. It was located east of the Tennessee River, near where Turkey and Boone's Creeks meet. This town played an important role as the very first county seat for Hardin County.
Contents
The Story of Hardinville
Founding and Early Days
Hardinville began in 1817. It was officially recognized as a town by the state government on October 24, 1824. This meant it had special rights and responsibilities.
A few months later, on March 3, 1825, the Congress of the United States passed a law to create new "post roads." These were important routes for mail delivery and travel. Hardinville was a key stop on two of these new roads:
- One road went from Hardinville through M'Nairy Courthouse and Hardiman Courthouse to Tipton Courthouse.
- Another road connected Hardinville to Florence, Alabama.
A Shifting County Seat
Hardinville was chosen as the first county seat for Hardin County. A county seat is the main town where the local government offices are located. People would go there for court, to pay taxes, and for other official business.
However, many settlers lived west of the Tennessee River. They wanted the county seat to be closer to them. Because of their requests, the county seat was moved in 1829. The new county seat became Rudd's Ferry, which is now known as Savannah.
Hardinville Becomes Old Town
After the county seat moved, Hardinville became less important. By the time of the United States Civil War (which happened from 1861 to 1865), the former town of Hardinville was known by a new name: Old Town.
Today, you can find the approximate location of this historic settlement near a road called Old Town Loop. This spot is about ten kilometers (or about six miles) east of modern-day Savannah.
