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is a small, though rapidly growing city located mostly in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States. A small portion of the city limits extends also into Beaufort County. The population was 1,793 at the 2000 census. Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island–Beaufort Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The earliest European settlement in the region was Purrysburgh, a former Swiss Huguenot and German settlement founded in 1738 on the banks of the Savannah River, about two miles (3 km) northwest of the current city's center. The settlement ultimately failed, as disease, infestation, and competition from growing Savannah proved too much for the local settlers to overcome. Many left the immediate area, moving upriver to the new communities of Augusta and Hamburg, though some remained.
The area saw some skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. The Charleston-Savannah railroad (today's CSX railway) was considered a prized possession and major strategic goal for Union forces. In an effort to defend the railroad, the Battle of Honey Hill was one of the last battles won by southern forces in late 1864, shortly before General William Sherman attacked South Carolina after his "March to the Sea" in Georgia.
The area within the city was settled in the 19th century by Isaac Hardee, a native North Carolinean. Through his son William Whyte Hardee's efforts, a depot and general store along the Charleston to Savannah railway opened up. This depot and the surrounding areas became collectively known as Hardee Station, and eventually as Hardeeville at the town's founding in 1911. The area became renowned for its timber operations with the Argent Lumber Company, which had one of the largest logging operations in the world centered around the town. Unique to the area was the swamp logging procedure that was utilized, which made operations far more treacherous than standard logging. Narrow-gauge railroads were constructed to help deliver timber to a processing area, where the lumber would be lifted onto standard-gauge rail cars or trucks headed to all parts of North America.
Growth continued at a modest pace, though timbering operations were gradually scaled back as overseas lands became more sought after due to lower costs and more standard logging procedures. In spite of the decline of the logging industry, the construction of U.S. Route 17 and later Interstate 95 provided a new type of commerce; motorist services such as motels, restaurants, and gas stations. The town was also notorious for being the "speed trap" before Savannah for motorists who would often be pulled over for speeding along these thoroughfares. Officially, the city adopted the slogan "The Lowcountry Host", and to this day remains one of the most popular exits along the interstate for motorists near and far.