1880's and 1890's
The area around Hardin was settled by cattle ranchers and later by sheep ranchers.
1904
Tribal lands adjacent to the Yellowstone River and the lower Bighorn Valley were ceded to the Federal government.
1906
The Town of Hardin was officially founded and this area was opened to homesteading. Within the next two decades the area around Hardin was fully settled.
1907
The land on which the community is located was purchased by the Lincoln Land Company of Nebraska.
At about this time, the original railroad depot, which had been located across the Little Bighorn River, was moved to the present depot site on the south side of Hardin.
1911
City of Hardin was incorporated
Thomas H. Mouat won the Mayor’s seat on Feb. 18, 1911, in the first City election held in Hardin, defeating C. C. Hutton, 43 votes to 10.
1912
December 3rd - First Fire Truck Purchased for $820.00 + $74.00 for the ladder + $42.39 for freight & dragage.
1913
Big Horn County was formed.
February 18th - Call for Bids for Firehall - Winning bidder H.J. Scott. The cost? $790.96
May 5th - W J Scott succeeds Thomas H. Mouat as Mayor
Secure Dumping ground leased with G.W. Brown until 1917
Liquor licenses reduced from $440.00/year to $240.00/year.
CB&Q Railroad furnish water from 140' high tank - 30 cents per thousand up to 200,000 & then 20 cents for additional.
October - Cornwall & Blum - 6 cents per hr. to pump water to supply tank.
1915
A L Mitchell elected as Mayor and served until the spring of 1922.
1916
Sold sewer bonds - $12,000.00
1917
Dirt work for Skating Rink
1922
May 2nd - H M Strand elected as Mayor. Made $50.00 monthly. Strand remained Mayor until his death prior to the election in 1928.
New Fire Truck - $894.00
April - Regular system of planting trees on Crawford Avenue
1927
Wilbur S. Fish, Council President acted as Mayor from Sept. 6th, then elected as Mayor October 4th.
1928
May 7th - J A Putnam elected as Mayor. He was also the night marshall. Earned $50.00/month.
1929
Payment on Chevy Fire Truck = $339.50 & $300.00
1930
New Water System - $70,186.33
May 6th - J E McCortly elected as Mayor
1934
May 1st - M R Calderwood elected as Mayor
1935
Purchased Trees
1936
June 5th - Dr. Wayne A. Ransier elected as Mayor. Died 1940.
1940
May 7th - Council member Miriam B. Ransier is first female Mayor. Elected by the Council to take the place of her husband as Mayor.
1941
Carl Rankin is elected as Mayor.
1947
A M Crilly is elected as Mayor.
October - Hochhalter Bros. put in a bid for garbage. Bid went to Ray Zelka for $550.00/month.
Jens. Kalberg went to Salt Lake to pick up a new fire truck. The truck was in such bad shape he did not bring it back. Instead he went to Great Falls and picked up a truck there that was in good shape. Cost: $3,000.00
December - New Fire Truck again. Bought from Big Horn Motor Co. for $5,999.99.
1948
Arbitration board for zoning commission created. Members were Ken Fox, O E Anderson, Elmer Skeio, R B Saunders, and Lee Terpening
Sewer pump station at end of 6th street.
Pacific Coast Building Officials Conf. UBC
1949
Jens. Kalberg is elected Mayor.
1950
Received letter from Sheriff Riley stating there will be no more city prisoners at the jail - settled.
1951
May - Toilets and sheds put in North and South Parks
The City notified the Chamber that the City could no longer take part in decorating the streets for Christmas or give Christmas treats to the children. It would be up to the Chamber of Commerce, in the future, to see that the streets are decorated.
1953
Gas bid - 22 cents/gallon
1954
April 5th - 1 used motor grader bought for $2,500.00
October 5th - Vacate & Abandon portion of Custer Ave. in King Addition
November 21st - Water extensions - sell bonds
November 30th - Purchase 40-80 acres of land across Little Horn River for garbage dump
1955
Carl Rankin re-elected as Mayor. He was Mayor to hold office in non-consecutive terms until Mayor Joseph Koebbe. Mayor Koebbe held the office from 1990-1994 and again 2011-2013.
September - Spent $11,500.00 on investments.
Water was 50 cents per tank then increased to 10 cents /100 gallon by PSC
Wading Pool
Garbage Dump purchase official. Bought for $7,500.00 from Mr. Hogan's stepdaughter.
1956
Change to Sewer Lagoons
Ord.252 - Allow Police Judge sentence of work on streets
City paid Mayflower Circle for census taking
1957
Ronald Iverson elected as Mayor.
Sterling Codifiers hired - recodification 1958 (sell for $50.00)
1958
January - Elgin 4 yd sweeper bought for $12,000.00
March - Plans for hospital
July - Supervised fireworks display at 4-H Fair
September 2nd - Set up City/County Planning Board
Inventory taken and cards filed
1959
January 20th - Sam R. Young appointed as General Work Superintendent - Department Superintendent position eliminated. He was paid $500.00/month which was $50.00 less than the Department Superintendent made at the time.
February - Children paid 25 cents for every unlicensed dog brought in to police.
Joe Lammers elected as Mayor.
June - New Post Office and Custer Arms Motel
August - A R Cofe - dump sewage in barrow pit
December 1st - Sarpy Road used to go thru the dump
1960
January - New Fire Truck - need storage first
City wide paint up, clean up, fix up for 2 weeks in May
1961
September - Plans made for new fire hall.
1962
Clerks office hours changed - open until 6:00pm instead of 5:00pm
A. B. Cook takes over as Mayor when J. E. Lammers resigns to move out of town. Officially elected in 1963 but dies shortly after in September of the same year.
Austin-Weston No. 99 Motor Grader purchased
New Typewriter for $130.00
Safeway Store constructed
February 1962 - Filtering Equipment bought for Swimming Pool
February 3, 1962 - Phones switched from Operator to Dial Tone
March 20, 1962 - 50 Star Flag presented to City of Hardin
1963
Days after Mayor A. B. Cook's death, Lawrence Koebbe is appointed as Mayor. He is elected in 1965, and re-elected in 1967, 1969, and 1971.
1971
Lawrence Koebbe is re-elected as Mayor despite not running. He receives an incredible 303 write-in votes to beat both candidates. In late 1971, Koebbe resigns and Sam Meeke becomes Mayor. Mayor Meeke is the first Mayor to serve a 4 year term.
1976
Mayor Sam Meeke resigns due to health issues.
1977
Jeff Roberts is elected as Mayor.
1978
Picture to the right was taken in front of
the Old Water Treatment Plant.
from left to right
Lori Dorn
1981
Jeff Roberts resigns as Mayor, leaving the City of Hardin without a Mayor for several months. Council President James Svaren assumed the mayor's duties, but not the office.
1982
Elected in late 1981, Henry Hochhalter takes over as Mayor at the beginning of 1982.
1990
January 1, 1990 - Joe Koebbe is elected as Mayor.
1994
Ron Adams is elected as Mayor. He is the longest serving Mayor.
2008
New Wastewater Liftstation
Lift Stations 1 and 2 completed in Hardin Industrial Park
December - Landfill Ash Pit begins expansion - should be finished and in use by the middle of March 2009
2009
City purchases a New Garbage Truck
Fire Hall completed and the HVFD move in after Thanksgiving.
Kim Hammond is elected as Mayor. She will be the third woman Mayor for the city of Hardin.
2011
Kim Hammond resigns in March
Council appoints Joseph V. Koebbe to serve as Mayor until the end of the year.
Floods hit Hardin, Crow Agency and most of Big Horn County.
Election Results Mayor Koebbe elected to fulfill Hammond's term.
Alderman Harry Steinmetz, Jr. and Bill Stobaugh terms end and both chose not
to run for another term. Jerry Wemple and Randy Angevine were elected respectfully.
Timeline is still being researched. Please check back for updated information.
