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Texas Counties
Texas is divided into two hundred and fifty-four counties, more than any other state. Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931Hardin County, Texas
Hardin County Education, Geography, and History
Hardin County is a county located in the state of Texas, United States. Based on the 2010 census, its population was 54,635. The county
seat is Kountze. The county is named for the family of William Hardin from Liberty County, Texas.
Hardin County is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Hardin County Name
the Hardin family in Liberty County, Texas
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Hardin County History
The county is named for a family from Liberty County, Texas. The seat of the county is Kountze
The current Hardin County Courthouse was built in 1959. It is at least the third courthouse to serve Hardin County
Handbook of Texas Online
After the revolution of 1836 the area was split between the jurisdictions of Liberty and Jefferson counties. By
1858 the region's population had increased sufficiently to warrant establishment of its own county government. In
response, the state legislature established Hardin County, drawing territory from both the parent counties, early in
that year. Legislators specified that the county's name honor the Hardin family of Liberty and instructed that the
county seat, to be located within five miles of the center, also bear that name. After the election of Hampton J.
Herrington as chief justice (i.e., county judge), the first session of the county court convened outdoors under an
enormous dogwood tree. A log courthouse was completed in 1859 and followed later by a frame structure. Hardin
remained the county seat until the mid-1880s. In 1881 the Sabine and East Texas Railroad bypassed that community in
favor of its own newly established town, Kountze, two miles east of Hardin. Agitation soon developed for removal of
county government to the new site. In the resulting election a majority of voters favored Hardin, but a courthouse
fire in August 1886 reopened the issue. A second vote settled the matter permanently in favor of Kountze. After
meeting in other structures, county officers accepted the 1904 offer of town founders Herman and Augustus Kountze of
land for a courthouse site. The resulting domed courthouse was replaced by a $1.5 million, three-story, split-level
structure in 1959 More at
Patricia L. Duncan, "HARDIN COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hch06),
accessed January 24, 2016. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Geography: Land and Water
Hardin County is located on the flat coastal plains of Southeast Texas, roughly thirty miles (50 km) north of the
Gulf of Mexico. The county is largely covered by the dense forest of the Big Thicket. It is crossed by numerous
small streams and creeks which drain the county into the Neches River, which forms the eastern boundary of the
county.
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 897 square miles (2,324 km2), of which, 894
square miles (2,316 km2) of it is land and 3 square miles (8 km2) of it (0.34%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Tyler County (north)
- Jasper County (east)
- Orange County (southeast)
- Jefferson County (south)
- Liberty County (southwest)
- Polk County (northwest)
Education
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