The first people to come to
Hardeman County looking for permanent residence came in 1819-20. They
came from middle Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina
and Kentucky. The first town in Hardeman County was established in
1823 on the banks of the Big
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Hatchie, the Indian name for the river. It was appropriately
called Hatchie Town. The
new site, the county seat, still bore the name Hatchie until by Act
of the Tennessee State Legislature, on October 18, 1825, it was
changed to Bolivar. Bolivar was named for Gen. Simon Bolivar, the
South American patriot and liberator.
Hardeman County was officially organized on October 16, 1823, and
was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman, a veteran of the War of 1812,
who served as the first county court clerk and a commissioner for
Bolivar before moving to Texas in 1835.
The early years of
Hardeman County were filled with history and romance, and many fine
antebellum homes still exist to remind residents and visitors of
that time in history.
For many years Hardeman Countians
depended on agriculture and lumber for their livelihood; in later
years livestock and crops were added to the economy.
The Bolivar historic district features
examples of early architecture. There are 118 buildings on the
historical register, including The Pillars, The Columns, McNeal Place,
St. James Chapel, the Presbyterian Church, Magnolia Manor, Levi Joy
House and the Little Courthouse Museum. |
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