Historical Markers on John Wesley Hardin

A Texas outlaw’s crime spree came to an end on the streets of Pensacola’s Historic District. John Wesley Hardin was born in 1853 and had a proclivity for violence, killing his first man at the age of 15. He had reportedly killed 27 men, although he bragged he killed 40 in self-defense, including one for snoring too loud. On August 23, 1877, Hardin and his associates were confronted by two Texas rangers, the Escambia County Sherriff, and nine deputies at the L&N Freight Depot. They successfully arrested him and he was extradited to Texas where he served his time in the Texas State Penitentiary. He was pardoned after 17 years. In 1895 he was shot and killed in an El Paso saloon.