The history of Hardy County encompasses a rich heritage of people. The settlement of the area begins with the earliest Indians, the Delawares, the Shawnees and Catawbas. Until the 1730's when Lord Fairfax was granted the region's lands, the Indians lived in this rich agricultural region. When the settlers moved into the area, conflict arose between the Indians and settlers, therefore numberous forts were built. More settlers moved in as the Indians were pushed westward. The Lord Fairfax lands were surveyed by many surveyors, the most famous being George Washington in 1746.

The county seat, Moorefield, was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1777 on the farm of Conrad Moore. The town was named in his honor.

The county was originally part of Hampshire County. In 1789, named in honor of Samuel Hardy, a distinguished Virginian, Hardy County was formed. The county included the largest cattle operation in Virginia. Cattle remained the dominant agricultural industry for more than a century and still plays an important role today.

The crisis of the North and the South was growing as they moved into the 1800's. This Virginia state was on the border, most were against succession from the Union and against division of the state. Hardy County was considered a violent borderland throughout the war and saw fifteen major battles. It was during the Civil War on June 20, 1863, that those western counties, of which Hardy County was a part, became the state of West Virginia. Agriculture, logging and cattle were still the major businesses as people recovered from the war.

New technological developments as well as a new form of transportation in the area, the railroad, were reflected at the turn of the century. The depression years of the 1930's saw changes in the economy and farming. World War II found Hardy County farmers moving into the poultry industry. The poultry industry has become the county's major agricultural industry since then.