[4] The settlement of what is now Hardee County, Florida began with the establishment of the Kennedy-Darling Indian-trading post on Paynes Creek in April 1849.

The enterprise came to a tragic end on July 17, 1849, when two of the clerks, George Payne and Dempsey Whidden, were killed by Indians.

[5][6][7] Reports of the attack motivated the U.S. Army to establish a chain of fortifications across Florida, and construction began on Fort Chokonikla on October 26, 1849.

The Florida Southern Railway arrived in 1886 and ushered in a new era of increased settlement for what is now Hardee County, with many new settlers finding employment working with the railroad, tending stores, farming, ranching and teaching.

[9] At the dawn of the 20th century, the county seat Wauchula was incorporated in 1902, and the first bank was opened in 1904.

Maximum sustained winds in downtown Wauchula were clocked at 149 mph (240 km/h) with higher gusts.

[12] Hardee County is located in a region colloquially referred to as "Bone Valley."

[16] Reclamation standards for phosphate lands include contouring to safe slopes, providing for acceptable water quality and quantity, revegetation, and the return of wetlands to pre-mining type, nature, function and acreage.

[14] Opponents of mining say converting agricultural land to phosphate mining is harmful to the environment, increasing background radiation levels,[17] harming water quality and rendering some areas poorly suited for agriculture.

According to 2005 Census Estimates the county's population was 50.6% non-Hispanic white, 39.8% Latino, 9.0% African-American and 1.3% Native American.

Later in 1997, the Board of County Commissioners signed an inter-local agreement to become a member of the Heartland Library Cooperative.

In the summer of 2004, the library building was severely damaged by Hurricane Charley and managed to keep its doors open for a couple of years before ultimately closing in 2006 for much-needed repairs.

In addition to traditional materials and online resources, the Hardee County Public Library contains archives from the Florida Advocate[36] and Herald-Advocate (local newspapers) on microfilm as well as Wauchula City Directories from the 1970s-to 1980s.