OLDE HARDINSBURGH
BY LESLIE GALLOWAY HAYCRAFT
THE HERALD NEWS NEWSPAPER 
10/20/2021 EDITION

       William Hardin generously donated the land for which the town of Hardinsburgh was drawn out.  The proposal was written by William Hardin and Christopher Bush but signed by them as well as four other settlers.  A town plat was laid out and presented to the 26 settlers Sept. 29, 1784.
       Legend says that the original proposal was written on a bear hide because they had no paper.  The town was measured out and surveyed by Hardin with no compass or chain to actually measure it out.  Stories passed down in history are colorful and William Hardin had led quite a life, so believe what you will.
       If the settlers complied with conditions in the proposal they could have a lot free and clear.  Streets were 50 feet wide with four streets running north to south and only those three streets running east to west.  There were 68 lots of a half acre each, four lots of a quarter acre each as well as a public square.
       Unfortunately most of our county’s oldest records were lost in a courthouse fire in 1958 but some references to old Hardinsburg (as it was spelled originally) can be found in stories and later documents.  Newspapers from later periods are a great historical reference when documents have been lost and archives are a good resource also.  Often individuals share copies of old letters and photos with the archives that would not otherwise be documented through legal terms for example through a courthouse.
       A wealth of information about old Hardinsburgh was save from Miss Emma Beard in a copy of what she had written and read to the Chatauqua Literary & Science Society Circle March 16, 1886.  These are memories of her youth and stories that she had passed on to her.  She shared of William Hardin coming to this area, founding the Fort, and stories of other settlers.  In quoting the writing I will skip to the section about the town and abbreviate.
       “The first courthouse of the place was a small log house, and next a brick building with as much claim to architecture as an old barn.  Then came another brick building on the order of the Southern Methodist church.  But in 1869 this was replaced by the handsome building now standing, at a cost of $37,000.  The first schoolhouse was built in 1812.  Only two were built before the seminary, and this old building would be long cherished in the memory of many in and around Hardinsburg, for in it their school life was entirely spent.  This was torn away in 1883 and our roomy Hardinsburg Academy was erected in its place.  Among the earliest teachers of our town were two gentlemen, Curtis and Flood.  The town has been blessed by able educators from the very earliest.
       The first two marriage licenses issued were to two brothers, James Hambleton to Catherine Brunner, and Samuel Hambleton to Mary Miller, aunt of our present county court clerk.  This was in May 1800.  The first will recorded was that of Ruth Faith in 1799.  Members of the bar of early days were such men as Ben Hardin, Gov. Duvall, Gov. Wickliffe, Ben Chapeze, Eli and Felix Henston, Frank Peyton, etc.  All became men of national repute.
       The first church built here was Catholic, a log house on the site of the present building.  The first Methodist organization was formed in 1828.  The first church built between 1830-35.  The town was supplied with water from the “cool spring,” so well known to us for many years.” – Miss Emma Board
       Breckinridge County archives holds a list of some of the inhabitants and merchants who lived within the town during the years of 1820-1830.  As in the original plat for the town, homes were mixed in among the merchants.  On the list, the names of businesses and homes are listed by the street they are on.  Some of the businesses and services in town by that year were: a barber, bank, jail, blacksmith, tobacco warehouse, hotel, courthouse, saloon, saddle & harness shop, four lawyers, two hat shops, a Catholic church, two drug stores, two shoe stores, a jeweler, normal college, cemetery and several dry goods and mercantiles.
       Another personal memoir written by Ruth Withers helped save some visions of town around these same years.  In 1893, she walked through Hardinsburgh street by street explaining who lived where and what stores were in the buildings.  A cemetery on North Hardin Street, the oldest small house as she called it, was across from the Baptist Church on the corner of 2nd Street and Breckinridge.  Then came a tobacco warehouse and Dr. Lightfoot’s brick house (that she dates as 1830 as she lived in it as a child) she said.
       On Third Street East to West she explained the first high school was where her grandfather used to have a brick kiln.  B. F. Beard Home was beside the schoolhouse where they held public school for five months and normal school for the rest of the year.  Fifth Street was only one block with the south side being the Normal College and Sixth Street was not used except for herding cows to an adjoining farm.  The post office was located behind the courthouse.  Last but not least she talks about Johnny Johnson’s saloon behind the courthouse.
       She jokes about possibly forgetting something yet includes names, dates, and stories for each person in the writing.  Many of her details can help you envision her as a little girl walking down those streets.  One thing that comes through her stories in details of description is the pride of her town.  The details are worth the read as I had to leave the best parts out of both memories.  If any of you would like copies of Emma Board or Ruth Wither’s letters about early Hardinsburg, they can be found in Breckinridge County Archives at the courthouse.