Pioneer Pickings No. 194
The Salem Democrat
7/9/1879 

Some time last spring, before we made our trip to Hot Springs for the benefit of our rheumatism, we made a memorandum of matters and things as related to us by our old and venerable friend, John Hardin, of Madison township in this county. We laid them aside and after several fruitless hunts we have at last found them and will now do what was intended to have been done months ago, but, as the old saying is, better late than never, or as the scripture has it "He that cometh at the eleventh hour shall receive his penny." 

John Hardin was born June 23d 1798 in Burke county, North Carolina. We have now found two North Carolinians that were not born in Rowan County. he is consequently in his eighty-second year. His father was a native of North Carolina and was named Elisha Hardin. His mother's name was Sallie Martin; and Sallie and Elisha married in 1796. John Hardin's sister Elizabeth was born in 1799 in North Carolina. In 1810 Elisha Hardin and family emigrated to Tennessee, in the county of Hickman, forth miles from Nashville, where they resided until November 1817, when they came to Washington County, IN and settled in Madison township near where John Hardin now lives, about two or three miles southeast of Livonia. Elisha Hardin died in 1847 and Sallie Hardin, his mother died in 1860. Elisha Hardin was born in Deep River, North Carolina, about 1770 and Sallie Martin in 1774, and she was eighty-six years of age at her death. 

The children of Elisha and Sallie were, John born as before stated; Elizabeth, who married Bland B. Pulliam. They are both dead. Then came Stephen Hardin born in 1801 and who died in Iowa in 1874; Henry (5) Hardin born in 1803 and died in IL in 1867 (actually 1845 – IL);; Aaron Hardin born 1805 and died at Orange County, IN, in 1841; Sallie, born 1807 who married Harrison Long. She is living in IL and her husband is dead. He died in Livonia about 1857; William W., born 1809 died in Washington County, IN; Matilda was born in 1811, she married Edward Hopper. She died of cholera in 1833 in this county, and he died in 1847, same place. Elvira born in 1813. She married Darling Thompson died at Salem in 1876. Jane Hardin born 1815 and also married Edward Hopper and she died in 1838. Clarissa S. Hardin born in 1817 and married Edward Hopper. She died in 183. George W. Hardin born in 1818 died in Louisville. These dates may not be strictly correct, nor may those which may come after, but they are the best our old friend could recollect. 

John Hardin married Elizabeth Ash, September 2d, 1823. By that marriage were several children, as follows; Aaron E., born in 1824 and died in 1867; Elisha C. born in 1826 and died 1843; Ziona M., born 1828. Isaac Hardin, date of birth not known; he married a daughter of Andrew Plott and Isaac and family reside in Floyd County; Martin V. B. Hardin, his birth we have not got. He is dead. He married Sarah Long, formerly Sarah Smith and she is living in this county. Matilda E. Hardin, birth not known, married William Orr and live in Iowa. Mary E., married James Rutherford and live in this county. John J. Hardin married Mary Fox and resides in Salem. Mahala Hardin married Samuel Wilson and died in Lawrence County in 1874. Thee is one by name of Catharine, but we have not date of her birth, death or marriage. 

John Hardin married a second wife by name of Jane Wilson and her only child is the Catharine above spoken of. This wife died, and in 1848 he married Judith Ann Archer in this county. She was born in Kentucky and had married one Wm. W. Hardin before this marriage. The children by this marriage are Aaron Edward born in 1848, living in this county; he married Hannah King in 1875. Jane Hardin, another child married James M. Thomason, September 1877 and reside in this county. The other children are, W. M. D., died in infancy; F., born in 1855 residing at home; Viola, who died aged about one year. 

We have thus given as correct an account as we can of the family of this old settler. John Hardin has resided within about two miles of the same place since 1817. he has held several offices of trust and profit. He was elected constable in 1820 and served continuously for four years. He was assessor of Posey township, almost all the time up to the new division of townships, and was assessor and justice of the peace for about eighteen years. In 1841 he was appointed county assessor. In 1852 he was elected auditor of the county, and by a decision of the supreme court, he did not hold the office two years. He was elected justice of the peace in Vernon (township) and served for two or three years. He was elected assessor of Madison township in 1858 and has held it ever since. He ran as independent candidate for auditor against William Williams in 1856 and was beaten (by) twenty-six votes. His first vote for president was given to Andrew Jackson and in the old Democrat faith he has ever believed. he never has missed an election since he was old enough to vote. In November 1820 he in company with John and Benjamin Simmons took a hunt in what was then the wilderness, now Dubois county, and secured lots of game. Hardin killed a bear and when he go to Paoli sold it. 

We have thus given a brief statement of the life of our old friend. His days are drawing to a close, his step becomes feebler as the seasons come and ere many winters shall come and go he will be numbered with the pale nations of the dead.
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Transmitted from Tamara Powell, 155 Squire Boone Rd. SW., Mauckport, IN 47142
to 
Bernie Hardin, mebein2@gmail.com
to 
Travis Hardin, ke3y@comcast.net, who will post the printed article from the book “Pioneer Pickings” when it is received from the Washington County Historical Society. TLH