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Tennessee County
Hardeman County, Tennessee
Bolivar's antebellum heritage and the Hatchie River corridor - from Bolivar's Magnolia Manor (one of the finest antebellum plantation homes in western Tennessee, an 1849 Greek Revival mansion that survived the Civil War intact) to the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge (protecting one of the most ecologically significant bottomland hardwood river corridors in the mid-South, providing exceptional waterfowl hunting and wildlife observation) and a West Tennessee county whose cotton plantation heritage stretches from the antebellum era to the present agricultural landscape.
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Office: Hardeman County Emergency Management Agency – Director Don Taylor | 240 Lake Circle Dr, Bolivar, TN 38008 | (731) 609-3971 | [email protected]
911: Hardeman County 911 Emergency Communications District – 120 N Washington St, Bolivar, TN 38008 | (731) 658-3249
EMS: Hardeman County Ambulance Service – 735 Naylor Street, Bolivar, TN 38008 | (731) 659-3772 | Fax: (731) 658-1898 | Emergency: (731) 658-6580 | Hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM-4 PM (office); the ambulance department became part of county government in 1989 and operates 24/7/365.
Sheriff: Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office – Central Dispatch (non-emergency): (731) 228-3000
Notes: Hardeman County experienced a real natural disaster declaration on April 3, 2025 (severe storm damage, per Mayor Todd Pulse and Governor Bill Lee’s state emergency order) – confirm current recovery status via hardemancounty.org. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-64 serves Bolivar, the county seat, in southwest Tennessee near the Mississippi border
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Hardeman County was created in 1823 by the Tennessee General Assembly from parts of Hardin County and “Indian lands,” named for Thomas J. Hardeman (1788-1854), a Creek War and War of 1812 veteran later prominent in the fight for Texas independence. Much of downtown Bolivar was burned during the Civil War. NAMING TRAP: Bolivar, Tennessee is a completely separate town from the more prominent Bolivar, Missouri – confirm state before citing library, historical, or civic sources.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hardeman County Building/Zoning Compliance – confirm current contact via hardemancounty.org.
Notes: Hardeman County is genuinely home to the town of Grand Junction, recognized as the real “Bird Dog and Field Trial Capital of the World” (Grand Junction straddles the Hardeman/Fayette county line). The National Field Trial Championship has been held nearby at the historic Ames Plantation since the early 1900s (permanent home there since 1915) – Hobart Ames, who established the plantation around 1899, left the estate to the University of Tennessee with the stipulation that the trials continue there in perpetuity; they’re still held every February. Grand Junction’s National Bird Dog Museum (30,000 square feet), which grew out of a small collection displayed in the back room of a local sporting goods store in the 1970s, now houses the Field Trial Hall of Fame, Sporting Dog Hall of Fame, Retriever Hall of Fame, and Wildlife Heritage Center. Bolivar itself created a historic and cultural district of 20 antebellum-era sites (including a “Victorian Village”) in 1973 to preserve its architectural heritage.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Hardeman County Veterans Service Office – Officer Larry Ross | 11185 Highway 64, Bolivar, TN 38008 | (731) 658-5262 | Fax: (731) 658-6116
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bolivar-Hardeman County Library – 213 N Washington St, Bolivar, TN 38008 | Director Becky White | [email protected] | offers document notarization ($5/document), Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. digital ebook/audiobook access, and a regular dementia support group program.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Grand Junction’s National Bird Dog Museum and the nearby Ames Plantation (see above) are the county’s premier, genuinely distinctive heritage attractions. Bolivar’s historic district and Victorian Village preserve real antebellum architecture. The Bolivar Civil War Monument, the Durrett House, and the Mathes House are additional documented historic sites.
Notes: The genuine National Field Trial Championship/Bird Dog Museum heritage is one of the most distinctive local facts covered in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Hardeman County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via hardemancounty.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Hardeman County Animal Control – confirm current contact via hardemancountychamber.com; Solid Waste line (731) 658-2884 is also listed as a general county contact point.
Nonprofit: Hardeman Adoptable Animals (HAA) – 315 Clifft Rd, Bolivar, TN 38008 | a 100% volunteer-run rescue organization; runs regular spay/neuter incentive promotions with local vet clinics and fundraising events.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Hardeman County Solid Waste – (731) 658-2884
NOTES: Hardeman County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardeman) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine National Field Trial Championship/Bird Dog Museum heritage centered in Grand Junction is one of the most distinctive local facts covered in this entire project; the Bolivar TN vs. Bolivar MO naming trap is worth flagging. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Hardeman County
Hardeman County is western Tennessee’s antebellum heritage county – a Hatchie River agricultural community whose plantation-era architecture and wildlife refuge define its identity.
Bolivar (the county seat, population ~5,000) has one of western Tennessee’s finest collections of antebellum architecture. The Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge protects exceptional bottomland hardwood forest along one of the mid-South’s most ecologically significant rivers.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hardeman County Assessor at 100 N. Main Street, Suite 103, Bolivar, TN 38008, phone 731-658-5541. No TN income, inheritance, or estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Hardeman County Chancery Court at 100 N. Main Street, Bolivar, TN 38008, phone 731-658-3541, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 North Main St, Bolivar, TN 38008
(731) 658-3541
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hardeman County Clerk and Master, Bolivar (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Hardeman County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Clerk and Master, Hardeman County PO Box 45, Bolivar, TN 38008 (731) 658-3142 Hardeman County is in West Tennessee, seated in Bolivar.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Tennessee has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Instead, Tennessee uses its own common form and solemn form probate framework, governed by Title 30 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. In Hardeman County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court) administers probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 through 30-4-103) – available when the value of the probate estate does not exceed $50,000 (personal property; real property is generally excluded). The affidavit can be filed no sooner than 45 days after death. A bond payable to the state is commonly required to protect creditors and other heirs, though it is often waived when the person filing is the estate’s sole heir/beneficiary, or when all heirs consent in writing.
Common Form Probate – the standard, uncontested path: the will (if any) is admitted to probate without formal notice to all interested parties, and the personal representative is appointed and issued Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).
Solemn Form Probate – used when formal proof of the will’s validity is needed, typically because of an anticipated will contest; requires notice to all interested parties and a hearing.
Muniment of Title – used to transfer real estate when there is a valid will but no other assets requiring administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files the original will (if one exists) and a Petition for Probate of Will or Petition for Letters of Administration with the Hardeman County Clerk and Master.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (testate) or Letters of Administration (intestate), giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors in a local newspaper; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly around 4 months from the notice) to file claims.
The personal representative inventories and appraises the estate’s assets (may be waived by the will or by all beneficiaries).
The personal representative pays valid debts, expenses, and taxes.
The estate is closed with a final accounting (unless waived) and distribution to beneficiaries or heirs.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county; confirm current fees with Hardeman County directly.
Tennessee has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or executors – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval if contested.
Tennessee does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Typical timeline for a simple, uncontested estate: roughly 6-9 months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
108 Market St, Bolivar, TN 38008
(731) 658-2323
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
100 North Main St, Bolivar, TN 38008
(731) 658-5911
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
705 Erin Dr, Bolivar, TN 38008
(731) 658-6531
DHS Office
705 Erin Dr, Bolivar, TN 38008
(731) 658-6474
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hardeman County Health Department/Community Health Center – 202 Hope Street, Bolivar, TN 38008 | (731) 658-9292
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Bolivar
Population: 25,000
Established: 1823
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Hardeman County residents.
