Hardin County OH

Hardin County, Ohio, once the territory of various Native American tribes, including the Shawnee, was established in 1833 and named after Colonel John Hardin, an officer in the American Revolutionary War. The county seat, Kenton, serves as a hub for historical and genealogical records, with the Hardin County Courthouse and local historical societies offering extensive archives dating from the county’s establishment. Early settlement in the county was influenced by its location within the Great Black Swamp’s periphery, an ecological feature that challenged early settlers with its dense forest and wetlands but eventually became fertile farmland as the swamp was drained in the 19th century. The county’s development was significantly impacted by the construction of railroads in the mid-1800s, notably the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, which facilitated the movement of people and goods, contributing to the growth of small towns and communities within Hardin. Genealogists will find valuable records including land deeds, birth, marriage, and death records, some dating back to the county’s formation.