Hardeman County, Tennessee

Hardeman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,462. Its county seat is Bolivar.

History
Hardeman County was created by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1823 from parts of Hardin County and "Indian lands." It is named for Thomas J. Hardeman (1788-1854), a veteran of the Creek War and the War of 1812 and a prominent figure in the fight for Texas independence. He served as a congressman in the Republic of Texas, and was also the father of Confederate brigadier general William Polk Hardeman.

Settlers began arriving in the area that is now Hardeman County in 1819, following a treaty with the Chickasaw allowing settlement in West Tennessee signed on October 19, 1818. Among these earliest settlers were the county's namesame Thomas Hardeman and Ezekiel Polk, the paternal grandfather of president James K. Polk. Thereafter, further settlers arrived from Middle Tennessee, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.

The first permanent settlement was established in 1823 along the Hatchie River, dubbed Hatchie Town. The town's location along the river led to recurrent flooding, and ultimately the decision was made to relocate the settlement approximately one mile south to what is now Bolivar.

Hardeman County had notable involvement in the Civil War. The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge took place there on October 5, 1862, seeing 900 total casualties. During the war, the Union Army maintained control of the municipality of Grand Junction. The town was thus made a contraband camp by General Ulysses S. Grant, providing education and shelter to formerly enslaved individuals. Relating to these engagements, much of downtown Bolivar was burned down during the war.

The county is the location of two of Tennessee's four private prisons, the Whiteville Correctional Facility and the Hardeman County Correctional Center. Both are medium-security facilities for men, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 670 sqmi, of which 668 sqmi is land and 2.6 sqmi (0.4%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Tennessee by area.

Adjacent counties

 * Madison County (north)
 * Chester County (northeast)
 * McNairy County (east)
 * Alcorn County, Mississippi (southeast)
 * Tippah County, Mississippi (south)
 * Benton County, Mississippi (southwest)
 * Fayette County (west)
 * Haywood County (northwest)

National protected areas

 * Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge

State protected areas

 * Chickasaw State Park (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,462 people, 8,891 households, and 5,816 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010 the racial makeup of the county was 56.1% White (non-Hispanic) or European American, 41.01% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,105 people, 9,412 households, and 6,767 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 /mi2. There were 10,694 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 57.34% White (non-Hispanic) or European American, 40.97% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,412 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 116.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,111, and the median income for a family was $34,746. Males had a median income of $27,828 versus $20,759 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,349. About 16.90% of families and 19.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.40% of those under age 18 and 20.80% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

 * Bolivar Central High School
 * Bolivar Middle School
 * Bolivar Elementary School
 * Whiteville Elementary School
 * Middleton High School
 * Middleton Elementary School
 * Toone Elementary School
 * Grand Junction Elementary School
 * Hornsby Elementary School

Cities

 * Bolivar (county seat and largest city)
 * Grand Junction (partial)
 * Middleton

Towns

 * Hickory Valley
 * Hornsby (partly in Mcnairy County)
 * Saulsbury
 * Silerton (partial)
 * Toone
 * Whiteville

Unincorporated and historic communities

 * Cloverport
 * Essary Springs
 * Middleburg
 * New Castle
 * Piney Grove
 * Pocahontas
 * Rogers Springs
 * Serles
 * Van Buren
 * Vildo

Politics
Apart from its powerful vote against Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972 as well as George H. W. Bush's 21-vote plurality in 1988, Hardeman County was a solidly Democratic county up until it flipped to Donald Trump in 2016.