Hardin County, Tennessee

Hardin County
County
Hardin County Courthouse in Savannah
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°12′N 88°11′W / 35.2°N 88.19°W / 35.2; -88.19
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1819
Named for	Joseph Hardin, Sr.[1]
Seat	Savannah
Largest city	Savannah
Government
• Mayor	Kevin Davis [2]
Area
• Total	596 sq mi (1,540 km2)
• Land	577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km2)  3.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,831
• Density	45/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th

Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831.^[3] The county seat is Savannah.^[4] Hardin County is located north of and along the borders of Mississippi and Alabama. The county was founded in November 1819 and named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina; the State of Franklin; and the Southwest Territory.^[5] Hardin County was the site of the Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) during the Civil War.

Two parties of settlers (totaling 26) struck out from Knoxville, Tennessee in late spring of 1816 bound for the general area which would eventually become Savannah, Tennessee. The first party, traveling by boat, came by way of the Tennessee River, landing in May at "the easteward curve of the Tennessee" [sic]^[6] at Cerro Gordo.

The second, and larger, party had traversed overland and encountered several delays. Upon the arrival of the second group, the parties finally rejoined at Johnson Creek, near present day Savannah.^{[Notes 1][7]} It was now July, and the pioneers set about the laying down of the first permanent settlement by non-Native Americans in the area.^[8]

This second party was led by Joseph Hardin, Jr., son of Col. Joseph Hardin who had, before his death, accumulated several land grants to the area as rewards for his Revolutionary War service. Joseph, Jr. was accompanied on the trip by his brother, James Hardin. James was the founder of what would become the first county seat, Hardinville.^[5] The settlement was created in 1817 on nearby Hardin’s Creek —on the site of what was later renamed Old Town, Tennessee.^[8] Both men executed land grants in the area.^[9] They had fought alongside their father in the war and had been likewise rewarded with their own land patents, as well as inheriting some of their father's unclaimed grants.^[7][10]

Other settlers in the expedition continued further downriver, establishing another community at Saltillo, in 1817.

For eleven days after its initial establishment (in November 1819), the boundaries of Hardin County reached from Wayne County west to the Mississippi River. The establishment of then neighboring Shelby County and others continued to diminish the size of Hardin until it reached its present boundaries.^[5] The county was named for Revolutionary War veteran, Joseph Hardin, a former colonial assemblyman for the Province of North Carolina, Speaker of the House for the unrecognized State of Franklin and a territorial legislator of the Southwest Territory.

Like several other counties along the Tennessee River, Hardin County was largely pro-Union during the Civil War, contrary to the generally pro-Confederate sympathies of West and Middle Tennessee. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Hardin County voted to remain in the Union by a margin of 1,051 to 498,^[11] being one of only eight counties in West or Middle Tennessee to support the Union. Earlier on February 9, 1861, Hardin County voters had voted against holding a secession convention by a margin of 791 to 395.^[12]

Hardin County was the site of the 1862 Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) during the Civil War. The battleground is several miles south of Savannah, and extends into Tishomingo County, Mississippi.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles (1,540 km²), of which 577 square miles (1,490 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (3.2%) is water.^[13]

Hardin County is located in western southern Tennessee (although part of the county is east of the Tennessee River, the county is considered part of the "Grand Division" of West Tennessee). The county is divided into two nearly equal divisions by the Tennessee River, which enters about midway on the south side and passes out near the northeast corner, flowing northwards. The length of the county from north to south is about 30 miles, and its greatest width, from east to west, about 21.^[14]

• Shiloh National Military Park

• Dry Creek Wildlife Management Area
• Pickwick Landing State Park
• Walker Branch State Natural Area
• White Oak Wildlife Management Area

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	1,462		—
1830	4,868		233.0%
1840	8,245		69.4%
1850	10,328		25.3%
1860	11,214		8.6%
1870	11,768		4.9%
1880	14,793		25.7%
1890	17,698		19.6%
1900	19,246		8.7%
1910	17,521		−9.0%
1920	17,291		−1.3%
1930	16,213		−6.2%
1940	17,806		9.8%
1950	16,908		−5.0%
1960	17,397		2.9%
1970	18,212		4.7%
1980	22,280		22.3%
1990	22,633		1.6%
2000	25,578		13.0%
2010	26,026		1.8%
2020	26,831		3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2014[3]

Hardin County racial composition^[21]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	24,272	90.46%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	805	3.0%
Native American	81	0.3%
Asian	148	0.55%
Other/Mixed	960	3.58%
Hispanic or Latino	565	2.11%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 26,831 people, 10,137 households, and 7,203 families residing in the county.

At the 2000 census there were 25,578 people, 10,426 households, and 7,444 families in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile (17 people/km²). There were 12,807 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.91% White, 3.69% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 1.02%.^[22] were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.1% were of American, 9.8% Irish, 9.7% English and 9.5% German ancestry according to Census 2000.

Of the 10,426 households 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.50% of households were one person and 11.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.87.

The age distribution was 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median household income was $27,819 and the median family income was $34,157. Males had a median income of $28,357 versus $18,806 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,598. About 14.60% of families and 18.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 17.80% of those age 65 or over.

United States presidential election results for Hardin County, Tennessee^[23]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	9,559	82.85%	1,775	15.38%	204	1.77%
2016	8,012	80.53%	1,622	16.30%	315	3.17%
2012	7,886	75.14%	2,467	23.51%	142	1.35%
2008	7,077	70.52%	2,794	27.84%	164	1.63%
2004	6,087	61.15%	3,834	38.52%	33	0.33%
2000	4,951	56.38%	3,735	42.53%	96	1.09%
1996	3,980	49.03%	3,508	43.22%	629	7.75%
1992	3,875	45.10%	3,922	45.65%	795	9.25%
1988	4,252	59.98%	2,808	39.61%	29	0.41%
1984	4,632	59.59%	3,051	39.25%	90	1.16%
1980	4,152	55.84%	3,164	42.56%	119	1.60%
1976	3,362	49.07%	3,438	50.18%	52	0.76%
1972	4,401	76.29%	1,202	20.84%	166	2.88%
1968	2,910	45.55%	1,153	18.05%	2,325	36.40%
1964	3,025	53.59%	2,620	46.41%	0	0.00%
1960	3,323	65.18%	1,690	33.15%	85	1.67%
1956	2,898	61.92%	1,734	37.05%	48	1.03%
1952	2,459	59.28%	1,677	40.43%	12	0.29%
1948	1,779	54.29%	1,270	38.75%	228	6.96%
1944	2,124	60.69%	1,358	38.80%	18	0.51%
1940	2,264	53.31%	1,957	46.08%	26	0.61%
1936	1,348	46.56%	1,538	53.13%	9	0.31%
1932	1,036	55.97%	806	43.54%	9	0.49%
1928	1,580	68.91%	707	30.83%	6	0.26%
1924	1,175	65.39%	618	34.39%	4	0.22%
1920	3,077	68.58%	1,398	31.16%	12	0.27%
1916	1,811	64.68%	979	34.96%	10	0.36%
1912	955	41.22%	738	31.85%	624	26.93%

Hardin County is overwhelmingly Republican, and, even before the rapid trend of the upland South away from the Democratic Party, was a Unionist Republican enclave in historically Democratic West Tennessee. This is due to the shallow, humus-poor and easily erodible Highland Rim soils, which were much less suitable for plantation farming than the rest of Middle and West Tennessee.^[24] Since the Civil War, only three Democratic Presidential candidates have ever carried Hardin County – Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Bill Clinton in 1992 – with only FDR achieving a margin of more than 100 votes.

Hardin County has one community and several city elementary schools, and also has a middle school. The county has one high school, Hardin County High School, whose sports teams are nicknamed "The Tigers". The Savannah-Hardin County Center, a branch campus of Jackson State Community College, has operated in the City of Savannah, offering an Associate of Science degree in General Studies, since 1998.^[25] The University of Memphis has occasionally offered classes at the Center in the past, but there were no classes scheduled there in the summer or fall of 2009.^[26] There is also the Tennessee Technology Center at Crump.

• Hardin County High School
• Hardin County Middle School
• East Hardin Elementary School
• West Hardin Elementary School
• Northside Elementary School
• Pickwick Southside Elementary School
• Parris South Elementary School

• Savannah Christian Academy

Hardin County maintains its own Level 4 Trauma Center out of Hardin Medical Center in Savannah. Emergency medical services to Savannah and the surrounding county are provided by a paid 24/7 ambulance service based out of this hospital. Fire protection to the city of Savannah is provided by a 24-hour paid Fire Department based out of two stations, with five pieces of apparatus. The County of Hardin is protected by a combination of paid and volunteer Firefighter/First-Responder and Firefighter/EMT-IV level engine companies, based out of 15 Fire Districts and with approximately 60 pieces of apparatus. The county also maintains a disaster/mass casualty team and a HAZMAT Team.

• Adamsville (mostly in McNairy County)
• Crump
• Savannah (county seat)

• Milledgeville (partial)
• Saltillo

• Olivet
• Walnut Grove

• Hardinville

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hardin County, Tennessee

• Hardin County, Tennessee: A Pictorial History. Nashville: Turner Publishing (1994). ISBN 1-56311-163-2
• Brazelton, B.G. A History of Hardin County, Tennessee. Charleston: Bibliolife (2008). ISBN 0-559-89017-6; 1st edition, 1885
• Hays, Tony. On the banks of the river: A history of Hardin County, Tennessee. Savannah: Tennessee River Museum (1996). LCCN 97-105458 ISBN 0-9654267-0-X

• Hardin County Guide
• Hardin County, TNGenWeb - free genealogy resources for the county
• "The History of Hardin County TN | Bicentennial 2". YouTube. Tour Hardin County. September 29, 2019.

35°12′N 88°11′W / 35.20°N 88.19°W / 35.20; -88.19