Abstract:
Established in 1855, Hartnett County was first settled by Scottish highlanders in 1729. Opening its first public schools in 1857 and receiving the railroad in 1860, residents and businesses in Harnett continued to flourish into the Civil War era. Averaging approximately one soldier per household during the rebellion, Harnett bounced back during the turn of the century, welcoming in a small iron boom as well as the textile industry.