A combination of religious zeal and the innate desire to conquer – land, people, or a total environment – led the French through the vast forested regions of what is now the United States. In 1616, a French Franciscan named LeCaron made contact with the Iroquois and the Wyandots (or Huron) near lake Huron. Eighteen years later, Jesuit missionaries established a mission and the Northwest Territory was, thenceforth, inhabited by the white man. Soon, fur traders were wintering there, LaSalle was building forts to bind the lakes together and Nicholas Perrot, and agent for the Governor General of Canada, was offering the Indians the "Protection" of the King of France.

This new land that so many wanted to possess and reform included Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota east of the Mississippi and Oho. LaSalle, having discovered the Ohio Rivers, laid claim to the entire Ohio Valley for France. England, on a grander scale, claimed everything from the Atlantic to the Pacific, signed a treaty with the Six nations, and , purportedly, purchased tracts of land from the Indians. Strife increased among the Indians, the American colonists, France and England.

The war years came to a new land. The rivalry between France and England led to the French and Indian War in 1756, Pontiac’s uprising against the English and, by 1777, the Revolutionary War. Indian-white hostilities increased as the colonies battled with one another for territory.

By 1783, a treaty ceding the Northwest Territory to the United States was signed by England. Territorial claims of the colonies were settled in 1787, although the Indians continued to disregard such plans by the American government. Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket threatened more hostilities if the white settlers continued to push north of the Ohio River.

The ordinance of 1787 formalized the government and the organization of the Northwest Territory and proved a base for the constitution of the future state of Ohio. The area was divided into three states, with provision fore the organization of two more. Along with the terms and duties of government officers, the Ordinance outlined provision for fair representation, trial by jury, exclusion of slavery, education for the people, and "good faith….toward the Indians." However, skirmished with the Indians continued as the British and Spanish fanned smoldering fires. The Treaty of 1783 was disregarded.

American colonists settled in Ohio, ignoring Spanish assisted Indian raids. By 1888, the first county, Washington, had been set aside by the legislature and its seat of justice, Marietta, was settled. For safety, the town square was fortified.

Generals Arthur St. Clair and Anthony Wayne continued the campaign against the Indians until the Treaty of Greenville (1794) ended formal hostilities and limited Indian land possession. Even then, the Indian wars weren’t terminated.

The Treaty at the Maumee Rapids pulled what had been indisputably theirs for centuries from the Indians in 1817. Many treaties had been signed between the ones at Greenville and Maumee Rapids, and more followed.

Hardin County lands were north of those acquired during the former treaty; the latter released them for sale, but settlement was not rapid. Not until 1843 did the last Indian move west.

As the Indians watched, the Ohio Legislature carved 14 counties, including Hardin, from this land in 1820:

Sec. 2 "That the counties of Crawford and Marion shall be attached to the county of Delaware; the county of Hardin shall be attached to the county of Logan; the county of Allen shall be attached to the county of Darke; the counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding and Williams shall be attached to the county of Wood; and the count of Seneca shall be attached to the county of Sandusky, until otherwise directed by law"

The new county’s land was of two types: Virginia Military and Congress. When Virginia relinquished claim of this territory to the government, she reserved land south of the Scioto compensation for revolutionary Ware soldiers. All of Adams, Brown, Clinton, Clermont, Highland, Fayette, Madison and Union counties were in the districts. Like Hardin, only portions of Scioto, Pike, Ross, Pickaway, Franklin, Delaware, Marion, Logan, Clarke, Greene, Champaigne, Warren, Hamilton and Auglaize were used in this way.

The Congress Lands, north of the Scioto, were surveyed, divided into townships of 36 sections (or 640 acres each) and were sold by the government to settlers. Title to these lands was clear while Virginia Military Lands remained open for litigation. That tract had not been surveyed into townships: A soldier, warrant in hand, could settle land as he pleased. And many paid their surveyors in land.

Ohio Canal Lands were granted by Congress to the state for canal construction and occupied nearly one million acres. Although rarely mentioned, Hardin County’s portion was located in the northwest townships and does comprise a third land type.

In January of 183, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing Hardin to become a "Separate and distinct organization" with Kenton as its county seat. Instead of traveling to Bellefontaine, citizens now transacted official business at Ft. McArthur until facilities could be built in Kenton.

The history from this point forward is one of development of a social structure, refinement of government, expansion of communication and the use (or misuse) of the lands.