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The city now known as Hardeeville was founded around 1800, when Isaac
Hardee brought his family to the sand ridges of St. Peter's Parish.
His descendant, White William Hardee, was the city's first real
businessman, and the founder of Hardee's Station on the Charleston and
Savannah Railroad. In time, the city grew up around the station. Soon,
the "station" was dropped from the name, and the formal "ville" was
added.
Hardeeville enjoyed a leisurely existence as a summer resort until the
Civil War. In January of 1865, Union troops led by General Sherman
marched through the region and set fires that destroyed much of the
area. Hardeeville was divided between Jasper and Beaufort counties
when Jasper County was created in 1912. The town did not enter Jasper
County fully until after World War II. The major influences of growth
in Hardeeville during this century include the railroad, the timber
industry and, later, the development of 2 major highways, US Highway
17 (the "Coastal Highway") and Interstate 95.
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