About the same time, John Kennard, William Cardingley, Thomas McClish and William Bush came to the Turtle Creek region, with the first two choosing a location to the northwest, and the latter two near the site of Hardin.

Other pioneers included the Lenox family whose father, John Lenox, lived in Virginia after emigrating from Scotland. After his death, Lenox’ widow first settled near Marietta, Ohio, and then moved to Shelby County, Ohio. Born in Virginia, their son, James Lenox, was 18 years old when he made his home with his widowed mother near Hardin in 1811.

James joined the American Army to fight the Indians in the War of 1812, returning back to Shelby County to marry Sally, the daughter of John Wilson. At the relatively young age of 27, he became a community leader, serving as a Justice of the Peace, the county’s first treasurer, and later holding many township offices. He and Sally would have 12 children. James died in 1865.

The sixth child, H.C. Lenox, became a wealthy and somewhat eccentric bachelor who at the time of his death, lived alone in the Wilson house (the first brick home built in the county). His mother and sister had died before him.  Some cows had gotten into the Lenox corn and H.C. went to drive them out. Mr. Lenox had been in ill health, and after this physical exertion, apparently suffered from heart failure. When he was found by two girls on their way to go fishing, H.C. was dressed in his Sunday clothes and still had the mail in his pocket. V.C. and Hiram Lenox returned from Chicago and Indiana to attend their brother’s funeral. H.C. Lenox was buried in Hardin.

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