Hardin

Formed January 1, 1839 (75^th county)

Hardin County (3,647), Elizabethtown (223), Rosiclare (981)

A small red brick courthouse was built in 1926 at the intersection of Market and Main streets.  Illinois State Highway 146 is one block south of the site.  Thomas S. Thompson is the building architect of this Georgian Revival style courthouse.  The courthouse sits on a hill and features a tower and veteran memorials.  There was an 1885 courthouse also in Elizabethtown, the only county seat.  The county is created on January 1, 1839 from Pope and Gallatin counties as the 75^th county.  The county is named for Hardin County, Kentucky.  Since the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky is also named Elizabethtown, this county seat is named for Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  Revolutionary War hero John Hardin is the source for Hardin County, Kentucky’s name; therefore, the county seat of Calhoun County is ultimately the same source as for this county. 

Hardin County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Twenty-one Circuit Court Judges serve Hardin, Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White counties.  Hardin County is located in far southeast Illinois on the Ohio River.  The county center is 2.4 miles Northeast of Elizabethtown.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Gallatin County and Kentucky and Pope and Saline counties. 

The area of the county is 177 square miles.  It is 101 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 102 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.6 persons per square mile making it 91 out of 102 in the state.  Hardin County has 39.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county’s shape looks like a bullet lying on its side.  Elizabethtown is on the southwest border.  Rosiclare is further west from Elizabethtown.  Elizabethtown is the county seat and Rosiclare is the largest city.  Elizabethtown is 6.1% of the county population while Rosiclare is 26.9% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced ROSE-I-CLAER.