Hardy County, West Virginia
| Hardy County, West Virginia | |
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Hardy County Courthouse
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 Location in the U.S. state of West Virginia |
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 West Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | October 17, 1786 |
| Named for | Samuel Hardy |
| Seat | Moorefield |
| Largest town | Moorefield |
| Area | |
| • Total | 584 sq mi (1,513 km2) |
| • Land | 582 sq mi (1,507 km2) |
| • Water | 2.2 sq mi (6 km2), 0.4% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 13,852 |
| • Density | 24/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Hardy County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,025. Its county seat is Moorefield. The county was created from Hampshire County in 1786 and named for Samuel Hardy, a distinguished Virginian.
The first European known to visit this area was John Van Meter in 1725. The earliest permanent European settlements were established in the 1730s.
Hardy County was formed in 1786 from Hampshire County in Virginia. When West Virginia was admitted to the Union in 1863 it followed.
Hardy County has a rich African American history, with many free African Americans living there before the Civil War. This history is discussed in part 2 of the Henry Louis Gates television series African American Lives.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 584 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 582 square miles (1,510 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (0.4%) is water.
Through this county flows the South Branch Potomac River with its surrounding magnificent valley. Several miles wide, "the Valley," as it is commonly called, contains lands whose fertility lends itself to successful farming. Agriculture and stock raising have always been the main source of employment in this area, with corn, wheat, apples, peaches, melons, cattle and poultry having important interests. Truck-farming has a vital role, each household possessing its own small garden.
On either side of the Valley are high mountains with rough terrain and heavy timber. Throughout the area wildlife is plentiful, and hunting has always been a major diversion and source of meat supply. In the winter snows are whipped by winds of gale force, and snowdrifts are usually numerous.
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