Hardeman County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,462. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Bolivar.

History

Hardeman County was created by the

Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...

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 The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, was a regional war between opposing Indigenous American Creek factions, European empires and the United States, taking place largely in modern-day Alabama ...

and

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and a prominent figure in the fight for

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

independence. He served as a congressman in the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

. The county is the location of two of Tennessee's four private prisons, the

Whiteville Correctional Facility Whiteville Correctional Facility is a privately operated prison for men located in Whiteville, Tennessee, Whiteville, Hardeman County, Tennessee. The facility opened in 2002 and has a capacity of 1536 medium-security inmates. As of 2016, Tenness ...

and the

Hardeman County Correctional Center Hardeman County Correctional Facility is a privately operated prison for men located in Whiteville, Hardeman County, Tennessee. The facility opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 1,976 medium-security inmates. As of 2016, Tennessee houses state ...

. Both are medium-security facilities for men, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Tennessee by area.

Adjacent counties

* Madison County (north) *

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

(northeast) *

McNairy County McNairy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,075. Its county seat is Selmer. McNairy County is located along Tennessee's border with the state of Mississippi. Sheriff Buford ...

(east) * Alcorn County, Mississippi (southeast) *

Tippah County, Mississippi Tippah County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,232. Its county seat is Ripley. The name ''"Tippah"'' is derived from a Chickasaw language word meaning "c ...

(south) * Benton County, Mississippi (southwest) * Fayette County (west) * Haywood County (northwest)

National protected areas

Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge is an area of swampy bottomland consisting of a portion of the floodplain of the Hatchie River in West Tennessee, covering 11,556 acres (4,677 ha) in southern Haywood County. It is a rich environment for aquatic l ...

State protected areas

* Chickasaw State Park (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 25,462 people, 8,891 households, and 5,816 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010 the racial makeup of the county was 56.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(non-Hispanic) or

European American European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent Eu ...

, 41.01%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.24% Native American, 0.29%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.2% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 28,105 people, 9,412 households, and 6,767 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 42 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 10,694 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 57.34%

(non-Hispanic) or

, 40.97%

, 0.26% Native American, 0.31%

, 0.02%

, 0.30% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $13,349. About 16.90% of families and 19.70% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, 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

Communities

Cities

* Bolivar (county seat)

Towns

* Grand Junction (partial) * Hickory Valley * Hornsby * Middleton * Saulsbury * Silerton (partial) * Toone * Whiteville

Unincorporated communities

Forty Five 45 (forty-five) is the natural number following 44 and followed by 46. In mathematics Forty-five is the smallest odd number that has more divisors than n+1, and that has a larger sum of divisors than n+1. It is the sixth positive integer with ...

* Pocahontas *

Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...

* Cloverport

Politics

Apart from its powerful vote against

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

in 1968 and

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...

in 1972 as well as

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

's 21-vote plurality in 1988, Hardeman County was a solidly Democratic county up until it flipped to

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

in 2016.

References

External links

Chamber of Commerce site
*
Hardeman County
at ''

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture ''Tennessee Encyclopedia'' is a reference book on the U.S. state of Tennessee that was published in book form in 1998 and has also been available online since 2002. Contents include history, geography, culture, and biography. The original print ed ...

'' {{authority control 1823 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1823 West Tennessee

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

State protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Schools

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

See also

References

External links