PRESS RELEASE                               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
October 26, 2000                            Robert W. King
                                            President & CEO
                                            Hardin Bancorp, Inc.
                                            201 Northeast Elm Street
                                            Hardin, MO  64035

                                            (660)  398-4312
                                            (660) 398-4317 FAX


                         DICKINSON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                         TO ACQUIRE HARDIN BANCORP, INC.

         HARDIN, MO. - Dickinson Financial  Corporation and Hardin Bancorp, Inc.
(NASDAQ;  HFSA)  announced  today  that  they  have  entered  into a  definitive
agreement  and plan of merger  for  Dickinson  to  acquire  Hardin's  stock in a
transaction which would be valued at $21.75 in cash for each share  outstanding.
The  transaction  is expected to be completed  during the first quarter of 2001,
pending regulatory approval and approval by Hardin's shareholders.

         Hardin  Bancorp,  Inc. is the parent company of Hardin Federal  Savings
Bank,  whose three  offices will become  branches of one of Dickinson  Financial
Corporation's  subsidiaries,  Bank  Midwest,  N.A.  "We are  excited  about  the
opportunity to expand in our existing markets of Richmond and Excelsior  Springs
and  to  add a  presence  in  Hardin,  Missouri  as  well"  said  Rick  Smalley,
Dickinson's  President.  "We sincerely  believe that the  combination  of Hardin
Federal  Savings  Bank with Bank  Midwest  will be very  positive  for  everyone
because both  organizations  have a strong  commitment  to meeting the financial
needs of the individual  residents of the communities they serve, and to helping
support the communities as a whole."

         Robert King,  Chief Executive  Officer of Hardin  Federal,  stated "The
customers of both Hardin  Federal and Bank Midwest will benefit from the joining
of our two banks by having access to a greater  variety of products and services
and more banking locations.  That fact,  combined with the value of the offer to
our shareholders, makes this a very favorable transaction for everyone."

         Dickinson  Financial  Corporation,  a privately held regional financial
services  company  with  approximately  $2.7  billion in assets,  is the holding
company for Bank Midwest, N.A.  headquartered in Kansas City, Armed Forces Bank,
N.A.  headquartered at Ft. Leavenworth,  Air Academy National Bank headquartered
in Colorado Springs, and Armed Forces Bank of California,  N.A. headquartered in
San  Diego.  Dickinson  Financial  Corporation,  headquartered  in Kansas  City,
Missouri, employs more than 1,200 people through its affiliates which operate in
Kansas, Missouri and eleven other states throughout the United States.

         Hardin  Bancorp,  with  approximately  $143  million in assets,  is the
parent  company of Hardin  Federal  Savings  Bank  which has  offices in Hardin,
Richmond and Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

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