Explore History of Hardin County- Hardin County was formed in 1839 out of parts of Gallatin
County and Pope County. It is located near the southeastern tip of Illinois on the Ohio River.
- The first three organized townships, by virtue of their militia, were Cave-in-Rock,
Elizabethtown (the current county seat) and Rosiclare (no longer on the map). Cave-in-Rock was
the hangout for such outlaws as Logan Belt, Duff the Counterfeiter, Samuel Mason, Colonel Plug
and the Sturdivant Gang.
- Battery Rock, an 80-foot high sandstone bluff rising above the Ohio, was a strategic location during the Civil War owing to the presence of sandbars in the river which caused boats to veer toward the bluffs.
- The county population on July 1, 1999, was 4,907, a decrease of 282 over the 1990 census Hardin Co., IL
- Hardin County was established by legislative act on March 2, 1839. The county seat was located
at McFarlan’s Ferry (Elizabethtown) in 1840. Legend holds that Elizabethtown was named for
Elizabeth McFarlan, who arrived here with her husband, James B. McFarlan around 1804-1812.
The land was formerly a part of Pope and Gallatin Counties.
- The McFarlan’s built a brick home overlooking the Ohio River in 1812.
It was known as McFarland’s Tavern and later The Rose Hotel. The State of Illinois
purchased the building and completed renovation in 1998. The Rose Hotel is the oldest
hotel in Illinois. It majestically overlooks the Ohio River, serves many guests and is
on the
National Register of Historic Places.
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