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. 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 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 , 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 (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)

Demographics