Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy: Difference between revisions

From FamilySearch Wiki
VisualWikitext
m (Text replacement - "Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at [http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives TSLA]. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/his...)
mNo edit summary
(200 intermediate revisions by 54 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Locality
''[[United States|United States ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  [[Tennessee|Tennessee ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  [[Polk_County,_Tennessee|Polk County]]''
|Name=Polk County
|ID=395272
|Level=2
|Country=United States
|CountryID=1
|Locality1=Tennessee
|Locality1id=374
|Locality2=Polk County
|Locality2id=395272
}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
| link2= [[Tennessee, United States Genealogy|Tennessee]]
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy|Polk County]]
}}


Guide to '''Polk County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history''', birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
East Tennessee county. Established 1839.  


{| style="width:18%; float:right"
[[Image:{{TNPolkmap}}]]  
|-
|
<div id="fsButtons"><span class="online_records_button">[[Tennessee Online Genealogy Records]]</span></div><br>
|-
|
<center>{{Infobox U.S. County 2016
|organized= November 28, 1839
|county seat= Benton
|parent county= [[McMinn County, Tennessee Genealogy|McMinn]], [[Bradley County, Tennessee Genealogy|Bradley]]<ref>''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.{{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FSC|1049485|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref>
|variant spellings=
|county1= [[Bradley County, Tennessee Genealogy|Bradley]]
|county2= [[Cherokee County, North Carolina Genealogy|Cherokee (NC)]]
|county3= [[Fannin County, Georgia Genealogy|Fannin (GA)]]
|county4= [[McMinn County, Tennessee Genealogy|McMinn]]
|county5= [[Monroe County, Tennessee Genealogy|Monroe]]
|county6= [[Murray County, Georgia Genealogy|Murray (GA)]]</br><center>[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Maps and Gazetteers|See County Maps]]</center>
|county7=
|county8=
|county9=
|county10=
|county courthouse= [[File:Polk County Tennessee courthouse.jpg|330px]]
|county location in state= [[Image:Location_of_Polk_County,_Tennessee.PNG|250x250px]]
|adoption=
}}
|}</center>
<div style="width:17%; float:left; margin-right:4em; padding:0px">__TOC__</div>
== County Information ==


=== Description ===
[[Image:{{TNPolkboundary}}]]  
Polk County was named for then-governor and future president James K. Polk. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Polk, Tennessee" in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Tennessee Wikipedia] accessed 03 Jan 2019 </ref>


=== County Courthouse ===
== Quick Dates  ==
{{TN Courthouse Intro|Polk}}
'''Polk County Courthouse'''<br>6239 Highway 411<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>[http://www.polkgovernment.com/ County Courthouse]  Phone: 423-338-4522<br>
[http://www.polkgovernment.com/county-clerk.php County Clerk] Phone: 423-338-4526<br>
[http://www.polkgovernment.com/register-deeds.php County Register of Deeds]  Phone: 423-338-3100<br>
[http://www.polkgovernment.com/clerk-court.php County Clerk of Court]  Phone: 423-338-4524<br>


Register of Deeds has land records.<br> County Clerk has marriage and probate records.<ref>''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.{{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FSC|1049485|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref><br>
Polk County's civil records start the following years:<ref>''[http://www.worldcat.org/title/guide-to-public-vital-statistics-in-tennessee/oclc Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee]''. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.), 1941; [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/county/earlyrecords.htm "Earliest County Records,"] Tennessee State Library and Archives.</ref>  


=== Polk County, Tennessee Record Dates  ===
{| width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
{{TN Record Dates Intro|Polk}}
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | <center>'''Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records'''<ref>''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.{{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FSC|1049485|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref></center>
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Birth]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Marriage]'''  
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Death]'''  
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Census Census]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | [http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Land '''Land''']
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Probate Probate]'''
|-
|-
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Birth|Birth*]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1908  
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Marriage|Marriage]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1894&nbsp;
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Death|Death*]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1908&nbsp;
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Court Records|Court]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1880&nbsp;
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Land and Property Records|Land]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1894  
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Probate Records|Probate]]'''
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1873&nbsp;
| width="14.2%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | '''[[Polk County, Tennessee Genealogy#Census Records|Census]]'''
|-
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1908
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1894
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1908
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1840
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1894
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1873
| width="14.2%" align="center" |1810
|-
| colspan="7"| <center>*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.</center>
|}
|}


=== Record Loss ===
== County Courthouse  ==
{|
 
|-
[[Image:{{TNPolkcourthouse}}]]'''Polk County Courthouse<br>'''6239 Highway 411<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 1-423-338-4522
|
 
'''1895''' and '''1935''' Fires damaged courthouse records.<ref>[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/lost-records-courthouse-fires-and-disasters-tennessee Lost Records: Courthouse Fires and Disasters in Tennessee] in ''Tennessee State Library and Archives'' in ''Tennessee Secretary of State''.</ref>
<br> [http://www.polkgovernment.com/polk-county-clerk '''Polk County Clerk''']'''<br>'''Marriage and probate records<br>P.O. Box 158<br>6239 Hwy 411, #102<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 1-423-338-4526
*Lost deeds: 1839 to 1893
 
*Lost marriage records: 1839 to 1893
[http://www.polkgovernment.com/register-of-deeds '''Polk County Register of Deeds''']'''<br>'''Land records<br>P.O. Box 293<br>6239 Hwy 411<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 1-423-338-3100
*Lost probate records: 1839 to 1872
 
{{Fire+}}
[http://www.polkgovernment.com/clerks-of-court '''Polk County Clerk of Court''']'''<br>'''Court records<br>P.O. Box 256<br>6239 Highway 411<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 1-423-338-4524
|}
 
'''Hours''':<br>Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. {{RAOGKcourthouse}}
 
== History  ==
 
[[Image:{{TNPolkJamesKnoxPolk}}]]
 
The county is named after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk President James Knox Polk] (1795-1849).<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tennessee_county_name_etymologies "List of counties in Tennessee"], Wikipedia.</ref>
 
==== Parent County  ====
 
'''1839--'''Polk County was established 28 November 1839 from [[McMinn County, Tennessee|McMinn]] and [[Bradley County, Tennessee|Bradley]] Counties. Early records may be found under McMinn and Bradley Counties. <br>'''County seat:''' Benton <ref name="Handybook">''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America]'', 10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002), 643.</ref>  
 
==== County Pronunciation  ====


=== Boundary Changes ===
[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TNPolk.ogg Hear it spoken]<ref>Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).</ref>  
{{TN Boundary Changes Intro|Polk}}
{|
|-
|
*'''1839--'''Polk County was established 28 November 1839 from [[McMinn County, Tennessee Genealogy|McMinn]] and [[Bradley County, Tennessee Genealogy|Bradley]] Counties. Early records may be found under McMinn and Bradley Counties. <br>''
*'''County seat:''' Benton<ref>''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.{{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FSC|1049485|item|disp=FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref><br>
*[https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/TN_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies Tennessee Individual County Chronologies] - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county
*[https://publications.newberry.org/ahcb/map/map.html#TN Tennessee Historical Borders - Map] at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; ''Also at:'' [http://www.mapofus.org/tennessee/ mapofus.org] - animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes
|}


=== Populated Places ===
Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].  
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit [https://tennessee.hometownlocator.com/counties/cities,cfips,139,c,polk.cfm HomeTown Locator]. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Polk County, Tennessee," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Tennessee, accessed 10 December 2019.</ref>


{{Populated places
==== Boundary Changes  ====
<!--cities column------------------->
| cities-col1=<div>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperhill,_Tennessee Copperhill]
</div>
| cities-col2=<div>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducktown,_Tennessee Ducktown]
</div>
| cities-col3=<div></div>
<!--towns column------------------->
| towns-col1=<div>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton,_Tennessee Benton]
</div>
| towns-col2=<div></div>
| towns-col3=<div></div>
<!--unincorp column------------------->
| unincorp-col1=<div>
*Cherokee Hills
*Coalhill
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conasauga,_Polk_County,_Tennessee Conasauga]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delano,_Tennessee Delano]
*Dogtown
</div>
| unincorp-col2=<div>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farner,_Tennessee Farner]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbuck,_Tennessee Harbuck]
*Isabella
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocoee,_Tennessee Ocoee]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldfort,_Tennessee Oldfort]
</div>
| unincorp-col3=<div>
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parksville,_Tennessee Parksville]
*Postelle
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance,_Polk_County,_Tennessee Reliance]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtletown,_Tennessee Turtletown]
</div>
<!--ghost towns column------------------->
| ghost-col1=<div>
*Alaculsy
*Apalachia
*Apalachia Station
*Bonnie
*Broad Shoals
</div>
| ghost-col2=<div>
*Caney Creek
*Hidgon's Store
*McFarland
*McHarge
</div>
| ghost-col3=<div>
*Old Dutch Settlement
*Probst
*Smith Creek Village
*Sylco
</div>
}}


=== History Timeline ===
[http://www.mytennesseegenealogy.com/tn-maps.html "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps"] (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on [http://www.goldbug.com/store/animap3.html AniMap 3.0] software.  
{{TN Historical Timeline Intro|Polk}}
{{TNPolkJamesKnoxPolk}}
'''Additional Information'''<br>
East Tennessee county.


The county is named after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk President James Knox Polk] (1795-1849).<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tennessee_county_name_etymologies "List of counties in Tennessee"], Wikipedia.</ref>
==== Record Loss  ====


== Resources ==
'''1895, 1935'''--Fires damaged records
{{TN Resources Intro|Polk}}


=== Bible Records ===
*Lost census: 1890
{{TN Bible Intro|Polk}}
*Lost deeds: 1839 to 1893
*Lost marriages: 1839 to 1893
*Lost probate: 1839 to 1872


=== Biographies  ===
For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:
{{TN Biographies Intro|Polk}}


=== Business, Commerce, and Occupations ===
*[http://tnblog.arleneeakle.com/2009/04/13/when-the-records-are-gone/ Arlene Eakle, ''When the Records are Gone'' in Tennessee Genealogy Blog]
{{TN Business Records Intro|Polk}}
*[[Burned Counties Research|Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki]]
*[http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=2424 Michael John Neill, ''Burned Counties'' in Family History Circle]


*''East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911''. 2000. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. {{FSC|965670|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN 976.8 U2m}}. Online at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-56434/east-tennessees-forgotten-children-apprentices-from-1778-to-1911 MyHeritage] ($). Includes Polk County.
== Places/Localities  ==


=== Cemeteries ===
==== Populated Places  ====
{{TN Cemeteries Intro|Polk}}


{| style = "border:1px solid black; width:70%;  "
{| width="710" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="0" align="left" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| Apalachia
| Coletown
| Maggies Mill
| Postelle
|-
| Archville
| Columbus (hist.)
| McAllister Hill
| Probst
|-
| Austral
| Conasauga
| McFarland
| Reesetown
|-
| Ball Play
| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=195073&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C+Polk%2C+Copperhill&columns=*,0,0 Copperhill]
| McGeetown
| Reliance
|-
| Belltown
| Delano
| McHarg
| Rymers
|-
| Belltown Hill
| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=195074&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C+Polk%2C+Ducktown&columns=*,0,0 Ducktown]
| Newtown
| Servilla
|-
|-
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#E0E0E0" style="border:1px solid black"| <center>'''Cemeteries of Polk County, Tennessee''' online and in print</center>
| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=195072&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C+Polk%2C+Benton&columns=*,0,0 Benton]
| Farner
| Oak Grove
| Staffordtown
|-
|-
| width="25%" bgcolor="#E0E0E0" style="border:1px solid black" | <center>'''Tombstone Transcriptions Online'''</center>
| Benton Springs
|bgcolor="#F0F0F0" valign="top" style="border:1px solid black" |
| Fetzerton (hist.)
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/search?firstname=&middlename=&lastname=&birthyear=&birthyearfilter=&deathyear=&deathyearfilter=&location=Polk+County%2C+Tennessee%2C+United+States+of+America&locationId=county_2494&memorialid=&mcid=&linkedToName=&datefilter=&orderby= Findagrave.com]
| [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=195075&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C+Polk%2C+Ocoee&columns=*,0,0 Ocoee]  
* [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/cemeteries.htm TNGenWeb]
| Stewardtown
* [http://usgwarchives.net/tn/polk/polcems.html TNGenWeb Archives]
* [http://www.usgwtombstones.org/tennessee/polk.html Tombstone Project]
* [http://www.tngenweb.org/cemeteries/#!co=polk TNGenWeb Cemeteries]
* [https://billiongraves.com/search/results?cemetery_country=United%20States&cemetery_state=Tennessee&cemetery_county=Polk&year_range=5&size=15 BillionGraves]
|-
|-
| width="25%" bgcolor="#E0E0E0" style="border:1px solid black" | <center>'''Tombstone Transcriptions in Print''' [[The Value of Cemetery Records in Print |(Often more complete)]]</center>
| Benton Station
|bgcolor="#F0F0F0" style="border:1px solid black" valign="top" |
| Grassy Creek
* {{FSC|United States, Tennessee, Polk - Cemeteries|subject|subject-id=951283696|disp=FamilySearch Library}}
| Old Patty
* [http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3Acemetery+Polk+Tennessee&qt=advanced&dblist=638 WorldCat]
| Sylco
|-
|-
| width="25%" bgcolor="#E0E0E0" style="border:1px solid black" |<center>'''List of Cemeteries in the County'''</center>
| Boonville (hist.)
|bgcolor="#F0F0F0" style="border:1px solid black" valign="top" |
| Grief (hist.)
* [https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/USA/Tennessee/Polk-County?id=county_2494 Findagrave.com]
| Oldfort
* [http://tennesseegravestones.org/cemeteries.php?selected_cid=70 Gravestones]
| Towee
*[https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?includeIsParent=true&primaryText=Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqParents=395272&reqParentsLabel=County&reqParentsType=209&searchTypeaheadInputText=Search%20Within:Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqTypes=20&reqTypeLabel=Cemetery FamilySearch Places]
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" style="text-align:center"| See [[Tennessee Cemeteries|Tennessee Cemeteries]] for more information.
| Camp Ocoee
| Hambright
| Parksville
| Turtletown
|-
| Caney Creek
| Harbuck
| Patterson Mill
| Wetmore
|-
| Chable (hist.)
| Isabella
| Patty
| Willis Springs
|-
| Chanceytown
| Linsdale
| Pine Ridge
|
|}
 
==== Neighboring Counties  ====
 
{| width="99%" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| valign="top" |
*[[Bradley County, Tennessee|Bradley]]
*[[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee County, North Carolina]]
 
| valign="top" |  
*[[Fannin County, Georgia|Fannin County, Georgia]]
*[[McMinn County, Tennessee|McMinn]]
 
| valign="top" |
*[[Monroe County, Tennessee|Monroe]]  
*[[Murray County, Georgia|Murray County, Georgia]]
 
|}
|}
&nbsp;


''Additional Cemetery Resources''<br>
== Resources ==
*[http://tennessee.hometownlocator.com/features/cultural,class,cemetery.cfm Tennessee Cemeteries] - Hometown Locator
 
==== Research Guides  ====


=== Census Records ===
*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/county/factpolk.htm Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Polk County], courtesy: [http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/ TSLA]. (Identifies published county histories, published&nbsp;local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
{{TN Census Intro|Polk}}
{{Historical populations
|type = USA
|heading = Census
|footnote = Source: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Tennessee#Demographics "Wikipedia.org".]            
|1840 |3570          
|1850 |6338           
|1860 |8726             
|1870 |7369             
|1880 |7269           
|1890 |8361           
|1900 |11357           
|1910 |14116  
|1920 |14243         
|1930 |15686        
|1940 |15473         
|1950 |14074           
|1960 |12160           
|1970 |11669           
|1980 |13602         
|1990 |13643             
|2000 |16050           
|2010 |16825             
}}
1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Polk County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see [[Tennessee Census|Tennessee Census]]. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.


See [[Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book]] for more information about statewide printed indexes.
==== African American  ====


See [http://www.us-census.org/states/tennessee/p-tn.htm#Polk Polk County, TN census assignments], including links to transcribed files. [http://www.us-census.org/ The USGenWeb Census Project<sup>®</sup>].
''[[African American Research|United States African Americans]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[African-American Resources for Tennessee|Tennessee African Americans]]''


'''1810-1891'''<br>
==== Cemeteries  ====


*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3574 Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891] at Ancestry — index $
{{RAOGKcemetery}} Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


'''1840'''<br>
<br>  


*Snell, William R. and Bradley County Historical Society. ''1840 Federal Census, Polk County, Tennessee''. Cleveland, Tenn.: Mimeographed by Lee College Print Shop for Bradley County Historical Society, 1982. {{FSC|455112|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2s 1840}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gs& Find A Grave] can be searched by the&nbsp;name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.&nbsp; Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.&nbsp; May&nbsp;give obituaries,&nbsp;names of&nbsp;family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


'''1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners'''<br>
*Find A Grave also gives&nbsp;a [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=csr&CScn=&CScntry=4&CSst=45&CScnty=2494 list of cemeteries in&nbsp;Polk County] linking to the &nbsp;information about the people buried there,


*''A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census''. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. {{FSC|282860|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321}}. '''''Online at:''''' [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/857237 FamilySearch Digital Library], [https://archive.org/details/censusofpensione00usce/page/n5/mode/2up Internet Archive], [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7678/ Ancestry] ($). See Tennessee, Eastern District, Polk County on page 154.
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/records/cemeteries/index.php?function=county&s_county=polk Polk Co. TN Cemetery Records], part of the&nbsp;TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in&nbsp;the&nbsp;county, often with indexes and&nbsp;transcripts of the burials.


'''1850'''<br>
*[http://www.usgwtombstones.org/tennessee/polk.html Polk County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project] lists many cemeteries in&nbsp;the county and&nbsp;has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


*Adams, Terri, Waunetta Ledford and Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1850 U.S. Census.'' Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 199?. {{FSC|718920|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2a}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*The [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] lists some&nbsp;[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails&subject=583023&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C++Polk++%2D++Cemeteries&columns=*,0,0 records of&nbsp;cemeteries in&nbsp;Polk county].&nbsp; Some of the books or others may be on [http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search Google Books] or available at public libraries.


'''1850 Agricultural Census'''<br>
*[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/localList.php?local=12621&locTGroup=Cemeteries&direction=down&sec=0&qty=59&stateAbbv=&stateName= ePodunk&nbsp;list of&nbsp;Polk County cemeteries]


*Green, Linda L. ''Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census.'' 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. {{FSC|976473|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1}} ff. Polk County is included in Vol. 1.
*Information on Polk County cemeteries, originally published in the ''Polk County Historical and Genealogical Quarterly'', is available [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polkcem.htm online], courtesy: TNGenWeb.  
*Inscriptions of Polk County, Tennessee Cemeteries. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


'''1860'''<br>
==== Census  ====


*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1860 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical Society, 1998. {{FSC|1010011|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1860}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Polk County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see [[Tennessee Census|Tennessee Census]]. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.  


'''1870'''<br>
See [[Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book]] for more information about statewide printed indexes.


*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1870 U.S. Census.'' Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1998. {{FSC|1010012|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1870}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
See [http://www.us-census.org/states/tennessee/p-tn.htm#Polk Polk County, TN&nbsp;census assignments], including links to transcribed files. [[http://www.us-census.org/ The USGenWeb Census Project<sup>®</sup>]].  


'''1880'''<br>
'''1840'''  


*Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''1880 Census, Polk County, Tennessee''. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2s 1880. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*Snell, William R. and Bradley County Historical Society. ''1840 Federal Census, Polk County, Tennessee''.&nbsp;[Cleveland, Tenn.]: Mimeographed by Lee College Print Shop for Bradley County Historical Society, 1982. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=455112 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2s 1840].&nbsp;[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


'''1891 Male Voters'''<br>
'''1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners'''  


*'''1891''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2884 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891] at Ancestry — index $
*''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2648500 A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]''. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=282860&disp=A+Census+of+pensioners+for+Revolutionary%20%20&columns=*,0,0 FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL&nbsp;US/CAN Film 2321]. 1841 edition digitized by the [http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1840c-01.pdf U.S. Census Bureau] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=W7JYAAAAMAAJ Google Books] ''et. al''. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Polk County on page 154.]


'''1900'''<br>
'''1850'''  


*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1900 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. {{FSC|1010013|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1900}}.
*Adams, Terri, Waunetta Ledford and Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1850 U.S. Census.'' Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 199?. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=718920 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2a].&nbsp;[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


'''1910'''<br>
'''1850 Agricultural Census'''  


*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1910 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. {{FSC|1010014|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1910}}.
*Green, Linda L. ''Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census.'' 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=976473 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1] ff. [Polk County is included in Vol. 1.]


'''1920'''<br>
'''1860'''  


*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1920 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000?. {{FSC|1010019|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1920}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1860 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical Society, 1998. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1010011 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1860].&nbsp;[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


'''1930'''<br>
'''1870'''  


*Presswood, Marian Bailey and Jo Ann Finnell. ''Polk County 1930 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2003. {{FSC|1231965|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1930}}.
*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1870 U.S. Census.'' Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1998. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1010012 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1870].&nbsp;[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


=== Church Records ===
'''1880'''  
{{TN Church Intro|Polk}}
'''List of Churches and Church Parishes'''
*'''[https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?includeIsParent=true&primaryText=Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqParents=395272&reqParentsLabel=County&reqParentsType=209&searchTypeaheadInputText=Search%20Within:Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqTypeGroups=3&reqTypeLabel=Churches%20and%20Church%20Parishes FamilySearch Places]''' <br>


Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration.For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see [[Tennessee Church Records|Tennessee Church Records]].
*Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''1880 Census, Polk County, Tennessee''. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991. FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2s 1880. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]


*Polk County Church Records
'''1900'''


:- FamilySearch Catalog - {{FSC|United States, Tennessee, Bedford - Church records|subject|subject-id=1444706827|disp=Polk County Church Records}}
*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1900 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1010013 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1900].


*Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.
'''1910'''


:- FamilySearch Catalog - {{FSC|United States, Tennessee, Bedford - Church history|subject|subject-id=1600369593|disp=Polk County Church History}}
*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County, Tennessee 1910 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1010014 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1910].


*If the records you need are not through the FamilySearch Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.Two sites that give information about churches in Polk County are:
'''1920'''


:- [http://www.yellowbook.com/yellow-pages/?what=churches&where=bedford+county%2C+tn List of Polk County churches] with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)<br>
*Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society. ''Polk County 1920 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000?. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1010019 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1920].&nbsp;[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
:- [http://tennessee.hometownlocator.com/features/cultural,class,church,scfips,47003.cfm List of Polk County churches] (TN HomeTownLocator)


'''''Baptist'''''<br>
'''1930'''  


*'''1879-1943''' ''Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943''.[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/mguide04.htm TSLA] Reel #348 {{FSC|840019|film}}
*Presswood, Marian Bailey and Jo Ann Finnell. ''Polk County 1930 U.S. Census''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2003. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1231965 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 X2p 1930].
*'''1879-1900''' Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records.'' Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. {{FSC|976.8 K29s}} vol.1 Index to original Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943.


=== Court Records ===
==== Church  ====
{{TN Court Intro|Polk}}


*W.P.A. Polk County, Tennessee Court Minutes 1840-1843. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration.&nbsp; For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives&nbsp;in Tennessee, see [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Tennessee_Church_Records Tennessee Church Records].  


'''''Law and Legislation'''''<br>
*Polk County Church Records
*Tennessee State Library and Archives, ''Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names.'' January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. Online searchable index at [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/database-tn-research/acts-tennessee-1796-1850 TSLA].


=== Directories ===
:- Family History Library Catalog - [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails&subject=579236&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C++Polk++%2D++Church++records&columns=*,0,0 Polk County Church Records]
{{TN Directories Intro|Polk}}
*'''1970-2024''' {{RecordSearch|5000290|United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024}} at FamilySearch — [[United States, Residence Database - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index, coverage may vary


=== Emigration and Immigration  ===
*Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.
{{TN Emigration Intro|Polk}}


=== Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups ===
:- Family History Library Catalog -&nbsp;[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails&subject=1047310&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C++Polk++%2D++Church++history&columns=*,0,0 Polk County Church History]
{{TN Ethnic Groups Intro|Polk}}


=== Funeral Homes  ===
*If the records you need are not&nbsp;through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.&nbsp; Two sites that give information about churches in&nbsp;Polk County are:
{{TN Funeral Homes Intro|Polk}}
 
{| style="width:100%; vertical-align:top;"
:- [http://www.yellowbook.com/yellow-pages/?what=churches&where=bedford+county%2C+tn List of&nbsp;Polk County churches] with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)<br>  
|-
:- [http://tennessee.hometownlocator.com/features/cultural,class,church,scfips,47003.cfm List of&nbsp;Polk County churches] (TN HomeTownLocator)
|
<ul class="column-spacing-halfscreen" style="padding-right:5px;">
<li>[https://www.higginsfuneral.com/ Higgins Funeral Home of Benton] in Benton</li>
</ul>
|}


=== Genealogies  ===
'''Baptist'''
{{TN Genealogies Intro|Polk}}


'''''General'''''<br>
*'''[1879-1943]'''&nbsp;''Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943''.&nbsp; [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/mguide04.htm TSLA] Reel #348 {{FHL|840019|film}}
*'''[1879-1900]''' Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records.'' Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. {{FHL|976.8 K29s}} vol.1&nbsp;&nbsp; Index to original Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943.


*''The Heritage of Polk County, Tennessee, 1839-1997''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society (Tennessee), 1997. {{FSC|718948|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 H2h}}.
==== Court  ====


*'''Baily''' - Baily Family Bible Records, ca. 1838-1958. MSS., {{FSC|525263|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 1697633 Item 8}}.
*W.P.A. Polk County, Tennessee Court Minutes 1840-1843. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*'''Barnes''' - ''See Longley.''
*'''Cantrell''' - ''See Longley.''
*'''Curd'''
*'''Hildebrand''' - Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. ''Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. {{FSC|153499|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 908921 Item 7}}.
*'''Hood''' - Hood, Dellmann Osborne. ''The Tunis Hood Family.'' Portland, OR: Metropolitan Press, 1960. '''''Online at:''''' [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/221569 FamilySearch Digital Library].
*'''Land''' - Land, Barbara and Gary Land. ''The Land's &amp; the Staige's''. 2 vols. Ukiah, Calif.: B. &amp; G. Land, 1994. {{FSC|723850|title-id|disp=FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 L299L}} ff.
*'''Langley''' - ''See Longley.''
*'''Longley''' - Matthews, Addah Longley. ''Genealogy, Curd-Longley, Cantrell-Barnes.'' North Newton, KS: Mennonite Press, 1966. '''''Online at:''''' [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/280859 FamilySearch Digital Library].
*'''Quintrell''' - ''Quintrell: Family Bible Records, 1830-1941''. MSS., {{FSC|287440|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 1307616 Item 61}}.
*'''Ward''' - Bell, Annie W.B. ''Military and Genealogical Records of the Famous Indian Woman Nancy Ward''. Typescript, 1961. {{FSC|318069|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 875418 Item 2}}.
*'''Ward''' - Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. ''Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. {{FSC|153499|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 908921 Item 7}}.
*'''Ward''' - Holland, Hubert G. ''Nancy Ward A/K/A Cherokee Rose and Beloved Woman''. Typescript, {{FSC|623604|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 1750757 Item 14}}.
*'''Whitson''' - McDuffee, Ted Ransom. ''Duff to McDuffee on One Leaf: The Family History James H. Duff-McDuffee and Nancy Ann Whitson with Ancestors and Descendants''. Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee Valley Pub., 1999. {{FSC|835965|title-id|disp=FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 D873m}}.
*'''Young''' - Stein, Carl F. ''Some Descendents of James Pickens Young 1815: of Polk, Rhea, Hamilton, Blount, &amp; Knox Counties, Tenn., Cherokee, &amp; Gaston Counties, North Carolina''. Family Group Sheets. {{FSC|787567|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Film 2055385 Item 2}}.


=== Guardianship ===
==== DNA  ====
{{TN Guardianship Intro|Polk}}


=== Land and Property Records ===
{{DNA}} DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Polk County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.
{{TN Land Intro|Polk}}


Early Polk County Deed Books are lost. In 1970, [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] microfilmed surviving Deed Books 1 to 10 (1897 to 1911), Trust Deed Books 1 to 4 (1894-1911) and a General Index (1897-1938). FS Library copies: {{FSC|370827|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Films 1012141-1012149}}.
==== Family Histories  ====


''Online Land Indexes and Records''<br>
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:  
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text Full-Text Search - Land Records] at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00oMDsAsSw How to Search]


=== Local Histories ===
*Locate publications about direct ancestors
{{TN Histories Intro|Polk}}
*Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
*Identify publications, to quote [[Elizabeth Shown Mills|Elizabeth Shown Mills]], about an ancestor's "FAN Club" ['''F'''riends, '''A'''ssociates, and '''N'''eighbors]


*History of Polk County 1839-1999. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers TNGenWeb]
'''General'''


=== Maps and Gazetteers ===
As of August 2010, a query for [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=Search&includedb=&lang=en&ti=&surname=&stype=Exact&given=&bplace=Polk+Tennessee&byear=&brange=0&dplace=&dyear=&drange=0&mplace=&myear=&mrange=0&father=&mother=&spouse=&skipdb=&period=All&submit.x=Search persons born in Polk, Tennessee] at ''[[World Connect|World Connect]]'', results in more than 20,000 entries.
{{TN Maps Intro|Polk}}


{{TN Neighboring Counties Intro|county={{TN Polk County}}}}
*''The&nbsp;Heritage of Polk County, Tennessee, 1839-1997''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society (Tennessee), 1997. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=718948 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 H2h].


*[http://www.mapofus.org/tennessee/ Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)]
'''Bibliography'''
*[https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?includeIsParent=true&primaryText=Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqParents=395272&reqParentsLabel=County&reqParentsType=209&searchTypeaheadInputText=Search%20Within:Polk,%20Tennessee,%20United%20States&reqTypeGroups=8&reqTypeLabel=Cities%20and%20Towns FamilySearch Places]: Cities and Towns in this county - [[FamilySearch Places|How to Use FS Places]]


=== Migration ===
*'''[Baily]''' Baily Family Bible Records, ca. 1838-1958. MSS., [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=525263 FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Film 1697633 Item 8].
{{TN Migration Intro|Polk}}
*'''[Barnes]''' ''See Longley.''
*'''[Cantrell]''' ''See Longley.''
*'''[Curd]'''
*'''[Hildebrand]''' Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. ''Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=153499 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Film 908921 Item 7].
*'''[Hood]''' Hood, Dellmann Osborne. ''The Tunis Hood Family.'' Portland, OR: Metropolitan Press, 1960. Available at [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=418154&disp=The++Tunis++Hood++family%20%20&columns=*,0,0 FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H761h]; digital version at [http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/books/results/image?urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3Bglhbooks%3BGenealogy-glh428815136%3B-1%3B-1%3B Heritage Quest Online] ($).
*'''[Land]''' Land, Barbara and Gary Land. ''The Land's &amp; the Staige's''. 2 vols. [Ukiah, Calif.: B. &amp; G. Land], 1994. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=723850 FHL&nbsp;FAM&nbsp;HIST Book 929.273 L299L] ff.
*'''[Langley]''' ''See Longley.''
*'''[Longley]''' Matthews, Addah Longley. ''Genealogy, Curd-Longley, Cantrell-Barnes.'' North Newton, KS: Mennonite Press, 1966. Available at [http://fsbeta.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F255628&hash=rh2%2B403z7n4WII67nHOFMh25nvE%3D FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C922g]; digital version at [http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/books/results/image?urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3Bglhbooks%3BGenealogy-glh265031731%3B-1%3B-1%3B Heritage Quest Online] ($).
*'''[Quintrell]''' ''Quintrell: Family Bible Records, 1830-1941''. MSS., [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=287440 FHL US/CAN Film 1307616 Item 61].
*'''[Ward]''' Bell, Annie W.B. ''Military and Genealogical Records of the Famous Indian Woman Nancy Ward''. Typescript, 1961. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=318069 FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Film 875418 Item 2].
*'''[Ward]''' Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. ''Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks''. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=153499 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Film 908921 Item 7].
*'''[Ward]''' Holland, Hubert G. ''Nancy Ward A/K/A Cherokee Rose and Beloved Woman''. <span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1275669763078_450" />Typescript, [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=623604 FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Film 1750757 Item 14].
*'''[Whitson]''' McDuffee, Ted Ransom. ''Duff to McDuffee on One Leaf: The Family History James H. Duff-McDuffee and Nancy Ann Whitson with Ancestors and Descendants''. Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee Valley Pub., 1999. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=835965 FHL FAM&nbsp;HIST&nbsp;Book 929.273 D873m].
*'''[Young]''' Stein, Carl F. ''Some Descendents of James Pickens Young 1815: of Polk, Rhea, Hamilton, Blount, &amp; Knox Counties, Tenn., Cherokee, &amp; Gaston Counties, North Carolina''. Family Group Sheets. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=787567 FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Film 2055385 Item 2].


=== Military Records ===
==== Land  ====
{{TN Military Intro|Polk}}


'''''Revolutionary War'''''<br>
Early Polk County Deed Books are lost. In 1970, [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] microfilmed surviving Deed Books 1 to 10 (1897 to 1911), Trust Deed Books 1 to 4 (1894-1911) and a General Index (1897-1938). FHL&nbsp;copies: [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=370827 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Films 1012141-1012149].
The following Polk County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


*[http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ 1835 Pension Roll]
==== Law and Legislation  ====
*[http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions]
*[http://tngenweb.org/polk/p_pensns.htm Pension Applications Pertaining to Polk County, Tennessee Residents]


Additional resources include:
*Tennessee State Library and Archives, ''Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names.'' January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/actsintro.htm Click here]. The searchable index is available at [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/actsintro.htm#names TSLA]; another version is available at [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=usa_tn_acts World Vital Records].


*''A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census''. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. {{FSC|282860|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321}}. '''''Online at:''''' [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/857237 FamilySearch Digital Library], [https://archive.org/details/censusofpensione00usce/page/n5/mode/2up Internet Archive], [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7678/ Ancestry] ($). See Tennessee, Eastern District, Polk County on page 154.
==== Local Histories  ====
*''Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions''. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48141 Ancestry]. Tennessee entries abstracted online at [http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War], courtesy: [http://tngenweb.org/ TNGenWeb]. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.


'''''War of 1812'''''<br>
*History of Polk County 1839-1999. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!]
*Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," ''Ansearchin' News'', Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at [https://tngs.org/Ansearchn-News journal website]. Includes Polk County pensioners (p. 50).


'''''Civil War'''''<br>
==== Maps  ====


''Online Records''<br>
==== Military ====
*'''1861-1865''' {{RecordSearch|1932378|Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1861-1865''' {{RecordSearch|1932422|Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1861-1865''' - [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2322 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865] at Ancestry — index (free)
*'''1861-1865''' -  [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2344 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865] at Ancestry — index (free)
*'''1861-1865''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/civilwar_histdatasys/ U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865] at [http://search.ancestry.com Ancestry]
*'''1891-1965''' {{RecordSearch|1874474|Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*[https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System]


{{TN Civil War Regiments|Polk}}<br>
'''Revolutionary War'''


'''''Confederate Soldiers '''''<br>
The following Polk County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


*[[2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ashby's) (Confederate)|2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ashby's)]] - CSA - Company A.
*[http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ 1835 Pension Roll]  
*[[3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Confederate)|3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry]] - CSA - Company C and D.
*[http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions]  
*[[3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's) (Confederate)|3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's)]] - CSA - Companies C and D.
*Select [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/p_pensns.htm ''Pension Applications Pertaining to Polk County, Tennessee Residents'']
*[[5th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McClellan's) (Confederate)|5th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McClellan's)]] - CSA - Company A.
*[[5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McKenzie's) (Confederate)|5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McKenzie's)]] - CSA
*[[19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry|19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry]] - CSA - Company F.
*[[29th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry|29th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry]] - CSA - Company B.
*[[43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennessee Volunteers)|43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennessee Volunteers)]] - CSA - Company A.
*[[59th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Cooke's) (Eakin's 1st Battalion)|59th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Cooke's) (Eakin's 1st Battalion)]] - CSA - Company K.
*[[62nd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Rowan's) (80th Infantry)|62nd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Rowan's) (80th Infantry)]] - CSA - Company E.


'''''Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Polk County:'''''<br>
Additional resources include:  


*Wiefering, Edna et al. ''Tennessee Union Soldiers: of Bradley, McMinn and Polk Counties Serving in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 10th TN Cavalry 5th TN Infantry and 5th TN Mounted Infantry''. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library (Tennessee), 1996. {{FSC|986572|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 M28tus}}.
*''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2648500 A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]''. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=282860&disp=A+Census+of+pensioners+for+Revolutionary%20%20&columns=*,0,0 FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL&nbsp;US/CAN Film 2321]. 1841 edition digitized by the [http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1840c-01.pdf U.S. Census Bureau] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=W7JYAAAAMAAJ Google Books] ''et. al''. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Polk County on page 154.]  
*Worsham, William J. ''[https://www.archive.org/details/oldnineteenthten00wors Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, C.S.A. June, 1861-April, l865.] ''Knoxville, Tennessee: Press of Paragon Printing Co., 1902. Free digital copy.
*''Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions''. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include&nbsp;"an Added Index to States." Digital version at [http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48141 Ancestry] ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at [http://tngenweb.org/revwar/ Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War], courtesy: [http://tngenweb.org/ TNGenWeb]. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]
*Genealogy Trails History Group, [http://genealogytrails.com/tenn/polk/Military%20index.html Polk County Tennessee Military Page].
*USGenWeb Archives, [http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/polk/polmil.html Polk County Tennessee Archives].
*Tennessee State Library and Archives, [http://share.tn.gov/tsla/history/military/pension171.htm Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications Polk County]. Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
*United States Pension Bureau, [https://www.archive.org/stream/listpensionerso02buregoog#page/n386/mode/1up List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for...] (Washington Printing Office; 1883). Online at Internet Archive. Polk County, page 368-369.
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/polk_12.htm Civil War Research From the Robert B. Barker Papers]. The collection contains information on both Union and Confederate soldiers who have a Polk County connection.
*Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, [http://www.tcwpa.org/the-civil-war-in-polk-county/ The Civil War in Polk County].


=== Naturalization and Citizenship ===
'''War of 1812'''
{{TN Naturalization Intro|Polk}}


=== Newspapers ===
*Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," ''Ansearchin' News'', Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/index.html journal website]. [Includes Polk County pensioners (p. 50).]
{{TN Newspapers Intro|Polk}}


*[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives Newspapers on Microfilm at the Library & Archives] at TSLA; some may be accessed via interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee
'''Civil War'''
**See [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/interlibrary-loan-policies Interlibrary Loan Policies] for more information<br>
For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Polk County click on the following cities or towns:


*[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives-b#Benton Benton]
*Wiefering, Edna et al. ''Tennessee Union Soldiers: of Bradley, McMinn and Polk Counties Serving in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 10th TN Cavalry 5th TN Infantry and 5th TN Mounted Infantry''. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library (Tennessee), 1996. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=986572 FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8 M28tus].
*[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives-c#Copperhill Copperhill]
*Worsham, William J. ''[http://www.archive.org/details/oldnineteenthten00wors Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, C.S.A. June, 1861-April, l865.] ''Knoxville, Tennessee: Press of Paragon Printing Co., 1902.&amp;nbsp; Free digital copy.
*[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives-d#Ducktown Ducktown]


*'''1847 - 1851''' - Smith, Jonathan K.T. ''Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate''. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. {{FSC|789366|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851}} ff; digital versions at [http://www.tngenweb.org/records/tn_wide/obits/nca/index.html David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository]. Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s. (Largely Methodist?)
==== Newspapers ====
*'''1800s-Current''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/50075/ Tennessee, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current] at Ancestry — index & images ($)


=== Obituaries ===
A local volunteer through [http://www.raogk.org/tennesse2.htm Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness] is willing to do free obituary lookups in Polk County newspapers.
{{TN Obituaries Intro|Polk}}


=== Other Records ===
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/tn-paper.htm TSLA]. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/mailill.htm#newspapers here]. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Polk County click on the following cities or towns:
{{TN Other Records Intro|Polk}}


===== Prisons =====
*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/paper-b.htm#Benton Benton]  
*'''1831-1850''' [http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/inmates-tennessee-state-penitentiary-1831-1850 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850] at [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla Tennessee State Library and Archives]<br>
*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/paper-c.htm#Copperhill Copperhill]  
*'''1851-1870''' [http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/inmates-tennessee-state-penitentiary-1851-1870 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870] at [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla Tennessee State Library and Archives]
*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/paper-d.htm#Ducktown Ducktown]


=== Periodicals ===
==== Occupations  ====
{{TN Periodicals Intro|Polk}}


*''Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly and Newsletter'': [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/index.html website]. {{FSC|654865|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 D25p}}.
*Miller, Alan N. ''East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911''. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=965670 FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m]. Digital version at [http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_easttennesseesforgottenchildren World Vital Records] ($). Purchase at [http://www.genealogical.com/products/East%20Tennessees%20Forgotten%20Children/9259.html Genealogical.com]. [Includes Polk County.]


=== Probate Records ===
==== Periodicals  ====
{{TN Probate Intro|Polk}}


''Online Probate Indexes and Records''<br>
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:  
*'''1779-2008''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9176 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008] at [http://search.ancestry.com/ Ancestry] — index & images '''$'''
*'''1873-1965''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=M6Q3-8P6%3A179679201%3Fcc%3D1909088 Polk County] portion of {{RecordSearch|1909088|Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Probate Court Books - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/polk_3.htm#wills Index to Polk County Wills 1894-1970], available online, courtesy: [http://www.tngenweb.org/ TNGenWeb Project].
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records] at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00oMDsAsSw How to Search]


=== School Records ===
:'''Ansearchin' News'''
{{TN Schools Intro|Polk}}
:Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Polk County, Tennessee have been published in ''Ansearchin' News'', the quarterly magazine of the [http://www.tngs.org/ Tennessee Genealogical Society]. To view a list of these articles, visit their [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/ByCounty_ndx.html county index]. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/index.html archive]&nbsp;or conduct a [http://www.tngs.org/search.htm surname search]. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the ''Ansearchin' News'' quarterly [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=44514 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.]
:'''East Tennessee Roots'''
:Genealogical articles with abstracts of Polk County, Tennessee records have been published in ''[http://www.easttennesseeroots.com/index.html East Tennessee Roots]'' (10 vols.). A subject index to these articles is available [http://sites.google.com/site/easttennesseeroots/subject-index online]. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available [http://sites.google.com/site/easttennesseeroots/ online]. The Family History Library has collected most issues of&nbsp;''East Tennessee Roots'' [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=177434 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e].
:'''The Pellissippian'''
:Genealogical articles with abstracts of Polk County, Tennessee records were published in the ''The Pellissippian'' (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the [http://pellissippi-society.home.comcast.net/~pellissippi-society/index.htm Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society]. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their [http://pellissippi-society.home.comcast.net/~pellissippi-society/toc.htm website]. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=138229 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8 D25p].
:'''Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly and Newsletter'''
:This quarterly has been in publication since 1995. For more information, visit the society's [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/index.html website]. Most issues are available at the Family History Library: [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=654865 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 D25p].<br>Index found in PERIodical Source Index [[Periodical Source Index (PERSI)|(PERSI)]]<br>Digital version of volume 12 available at [http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FHSS&CISOPTR=50513&REC=3 BYU Family History Archives.]


=== Social Security Records ===
==== Prisons  ====


*'''1935-2014''' {{RecordSearch|1202535|United States Social Security Death Index}} at FamilySearch - [[United States Social Security Death Index - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index. ''Also at [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3693/ Ancestry], [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/social-security-death-index findmypast], [https://www.fold3.com/title/830/ Fold3], [https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/ssdi/all GenealogyBank], [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10002/us-social-security-death-index-ssdi?s=270606331 MyHeritage], and [https://stevemorse.org/ssdi/ssdi.html Steve Morse].'' [[United States Social Security Administration Records#Social Security Death Index (SSDI)|Click here for more information]].
Learn if your Polk County ancestors went to prison!
*'''1936-2007''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60901/ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007] at Ancestry ($) — index, [[United States Social Security Administration Records#Social Security Applications and Claims Index|click here for more information]].
*'''1936-2007''' {{RecordSearch|5000016|United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007}} at FamilySearch - [[United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT) - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index


=== Tax Records ===
*[http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/history/state/inmate1.htm Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850], free index available online, courtesy: [http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/ TSLA].
{{TN Tax Intro|Polk}}
*[http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/history/state/inmate4.htm Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870], free index available online, courtesy: [http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/ TSLA].


The original Polk County Tax Books 1893-1902 were microfilmed by [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] in 1970. Copies of their films are also available at the FamilySearch Library: {{FSC|370900|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Films 1012150-1012151}}.
==== Probate  ====


=== Vital Records ===
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/polk_3.htm#wills Index to Polk County Wills 1894-1970], available online, courtesy: [http://www.tngenweb.org/ TNGenWeb Project].
{{TN Vital Intro|Polk}}


==== Birth ====
==== Taxation  ====
{{TN Birth Intro|Polk}}


*'''1828-1939''' {{RecordSearch|1681012|Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Births and Christenings - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
The original Polk County Tax Books 1893-1902 were microfilmed by [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] in 1970. Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library: [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=370900 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN Films 1012150-1012151].  
*'''1869-1909''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2282 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909] at [http://search.ancestry.com Ancestry]$
*'''1908-1912''' {{RecordSearch|2515873|Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee, Birth Records, Enumerator Record Series - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]


==== Marriage ====
==== Vital Records  ====
{{TN Marriage Intro|Polk}}


'''''Online indexes and Records'''''<br>
===== '''Marriage''' =====


*'''1625-1966''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/united-states-marriages?state=tennessee%2ctn Tennessee, United States Marriages] at [http://findmypast.com/ Findmypast] $
The original Polk County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1970, [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] microfilmed Marriage Books 1 to 18 (1894-1970). FHL&nbsp;copies: [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=213045 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Films 840021-840023, 1013614, 1012138-1012139].  
*'''1780-2002''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1169 Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002] at Ancestry  $
*'''1780-2002''' {{RecordSearch|1936414|Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee State Marriage Index - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1790-1962''' {{RecordSearch|1619127|Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950}} - at [https://www.FamilySearch.org/search FamilySearch] - [[Tennessee County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
*'''1796-1950''' {{RecordSearch|1681022|Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950}} (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1838-1888''' {{RecordSearch|2559093|Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1851-1900''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4125 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900] at Ancestry $
*'''1980-2014''' [https://register.shelby.tn.us/index.php?go=TNmarriageRecords&title=Marriage%20Records%20Index%201980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014] at [https://register.shelby.tn.us/?page_id=2965 Shelby County Register of Deeds] - index


'''''Book Abstracts and Indexes'''''<br>
Polk County's marriage records have been abstracted multiple times. As a guide to lead you back to the original sources, Blankenship's book surpasses the others for the early years, as she cites original volume and page numbers. The following is a list of these publications:


*'''1894-1907''' - ''Marriage Records, Polk County, Tennessee, 1894 through 1907: Volumes 1, 2, 3''. {{FSC|630257|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 V2j}}. Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, along with marriage dates.  
*'''[1894-1907]''' Jones, Viola H. ''Marriage Records, Polk County, Tennessee, 1894 through 1907: Recorded in Volumes 1, 2, 3''. Louisville, Tenn.: V.H. Jones, 1987. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=630257 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 V2j]. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, along with marriage dates.]
*'''1894-1907''' - ''Polk County Marriages: Vol. 4 Sept. 1894 - Sept. 1907, v. 1 - 4''. {{FSC|735014|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 V28b}}. Abstracts names of brides, grooms, officiators, and bondsmen, dates of marriage, with vol. and pg numbers and "extra" information.
*'''[1894-1907]''' Blankenship, Nelly M. ''Polk County Marriages: Vol. 4 Sept. 1894 - Sept. 1907, v. 1 - 4''. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: F.M. Blankenship, 1992. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=735014 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 V28b]. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, officiators, and bondsmen, dates of marriage, along with volume and page numbers and "extra" information.]
*'''1894-1970''' - ''Polk County, Tennessee Marriages 1894 through 1970''. {{FSC|742375|title-id|disp=FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8875 V28p}}. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!] Abstracts names of brides, grooms, officiators, with marriage dates for early marriages; more detail with recent marriages, includes vol. and pg. numbers.
*'''[1894-1970]''' Poteet-Pitts, Jennie Vee. ''Polk County, Tennessee Marriages 1894 through 1970''. Louisville, Tenn.: V.H. Jones, 1995. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=742375 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8875 V28p]. [http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/polk2.htm#Volunteers Free Lookups Available!] [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, along with marriage dates for early marriages; greater detail for more recent marriages, including volume and page numbers.]


==== Death ====
===== '''Divorce'''  =====
{{TN Death Intro|Polk}}


*'''1874-1955''' {{RecordSearch|1681020|Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Polk County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:  
'''1908-1933''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10076/tennessee-deaths-1908-1933?s=275764761 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933] at MyHeritage ($) — index
*'''1908-1958''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2376 Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 ] at Ancestry  $
*'''1908-1912''' [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/death-records-database-name/tennessee-death-records-1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912] at [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/ Tennessee State Library & Archives] - index
*'''1914-1933''' [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/death-records-database-name/tennessee-death-records-1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933] at [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/ Tennessee State Library & Archives] - index
*'''1914-1966''' {{RecordSearch|1417505|Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966}} at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]
*'''1949-2014''' [https://register.shelby.tn.us/index.php?go=TNdeathRecords&title=Death%20Records%20Index%201949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014] at [https://register.shelby.tn.us/?page_id=2965 Shelby County Register of Deeds] - index


==== Divorce ====
*W.P.A. ''Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee''. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.
{{TN Divorce Intro|Polk}}
''Online Records''
*'''1796-1850''' [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/database-tn-research/acts-tennessee-1796-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850] at [https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/ Tennessee State Library & Archives] - index
*'''1980-2014''' [https://register.shelby.tn.us/index.php?go=TNdivorceRecords&title=Divorce%20Records%20Index%201980-2014 Divorce Records Index 1980-2014] at [https://register.shelby.tn.us/?page_id=2965 Shelby County Register of Deeds] - index
''Online Titles''
*W.P.A. ''Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee''. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/110760-guide-to-public-vital-statistics-in-tennessee?offset=1 FamilySearch Books Online]


== Research Facilities ==
===== '''Death'''  =====
{{TN Research Facilities Intro|Polk}}


=== Archives ===
For deaths of Methodists in Polk County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:
{{TN Archives Intro|Polk}}


=== FamilySearch Centers ===
*Smith, Jonathan K.T. ''Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate''. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=789366 FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851] ff;&nbsp;digital versions at [http://www.tngenweb.org/records/tn_wide/obits/nca/index.html David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository]. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]
{{FamilySearch Centers Intro}}


*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/tn/ooltewah/3067-ooltewah-ringgold-road?qp=Polk+County%2C+Tennessee%2C+United+States&lat=35.140752&lng=-84.595068&r=25 Chattanooga Tennessee FamilySearch Center]
== Societies and Libraries  ==
*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/ga/ellijay/189-dogwood-drive?qp=Polk+County%2C+Tennessee%2C+United+States&lat=35.140752&lng=-84.595068&r=25 Ellijay Tennessee FamilySearch Center]
*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/tn/loudon/1005-mulberry-street?qp=Polk+County%2C+Tennessee%2C+United+States&lat=35.140752&lng=-84.595068&r=25 Loudon Tennessee FamilySearch Center]
:*[https://www.blounttn.org/197/Public-Library Blount County Library] - an affiliate library.
:*[https://chattlibrary.org/ Chattanooga Public Library] - an affiliate library.
:*[https://clevelandlibrary.org/ Cleveland Bradley County Public Library History Branch] - an affiliate library.


=== Libraries ===
{{RAOGKlibrary}}  
{{TN Libraries Intro|Polk}}


'''Benton Public Library'''<br>126 Polk Street<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 423-338-4536<br>[https://www.facebook.com/West-Polk-Public-Library-761148270591717/ Facebook]<br>[https://sites.google.com/site/westpolklibrary/ Website]<br>
[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/pchgs/index.html '''Polk County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society''']<br>P. O. Box 636<br>Benton, TN 37307


=== Museums ===
[http://www.wrlibrary.org/Libraries/unpage.html '''East Tennessee Historical Society''']<br>601 S. Gay St.<br>P.O. Box 1629<br>Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629<br>Phone: 1-865-215-8824<br>E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org
{{TN Museums Intro|Polk}}


== Societies ==
'''Benton Public Library'''<br>Hwy 411<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 1-423-338-4536
{{TN Societies Intro|Polk}}


'''Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society'''<br>P.O. Box 636<br>Benton, TN 37307<br>Phone: 423-338-4506<br>Email: [mailto:presswood@comcast.net presswood@comcast.net]<br>[http://www.pchgs.com/ Website]<br> [https://www.facebook.com/Polk-County-TN-Historical-and-Genealogical-Society-facebook-photos-125455784208395/ Facebook]<br>
== Web Sites  ==


== Websites ==
{{Wikipedia|Polk County, Tennessee}}  
{{TN Websites Intro|Polk}}


*[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~tnpolk2/ Polk County, Tennessee: "A Hidden Treasure"] (American Local History Network &amp; Tennessee Local History Network) '''Resources '''that will help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.
*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=195071&subject_disp=Tennessee%2C+Polk&columns=*,0,0 Family History Library Catalog] (FamilySearch)
*[http://www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/TN/Polk/ Polk County, TN Genealogy and Family History] (Linkpendium)
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/polk.html Mailing List: TNPOLK-L (Polk County, Tennessee List)] (RootsWeb)
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/ Polk County, TNGenWeb] (USGenWeb)
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/misc.html Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)] (RootsWeb)
*[http://ldsgenealogy.com/TN/Polk-County.htm Polk County TN Genealogy] (ldsgenealogy.com)
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/misc.html Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)] (RootsWeb)
*{{FSC Place IDNum|2174|Tennessee|Polk}} – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use [https://familysearch.org/search/ Historical Records] to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/misc.html#SE-TN Mailing List: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List)] (RootsWeb)
== Research Guides ==
*[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnpolk2/ Polk County, Tennessee: "A Hidden Treasure"] (American Local History Network &amp; Tennessee Local History Network) '''Resources '''that will help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.  
{{TN Research Guides Intro|Polk}}
*[http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.tennessee.counties.polk/mb.ashx Polk County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board] (Ancestry)
*[http://www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/TN/Polk/ Polk County, TN Genealogy and Family History] (Linkpendium)
*[http://genforum.com/tn/polk/ Polk County, TN Genealogy Forum] (GenForum)  
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/polk/ Polk County, TNGenWeb] (USGenWeb)  
*[http://www.mytennesseegenealogy.com/tn-county-polk.html Polk County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy] (MyTennesseeGenealogy)


*[http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/genealogical-fact-sheets-about-tennessee-counties-polk-county Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Polk County], courtesy: [http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/ TSLA]. (Identifies published county histories, published&nbsp;local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
== References  ==


== References ==
<references />{{Tennessee|Tennessee}}
<references />


{{Tennessee|Tennessee}}
[[Category:Polk_County,_Tennessee]] [[Category:Tennessee_counties]]
[[Category:Polk County, Tennessee]][[Category:Tennessee Counties]]

Revision as of 18:52, 21 September 2010

United States  Gotoarrow.png  Tennessee  Gotoarrow.png  Polk County

East Tennessee county. Established 1839.

[[Image:Template:TNPolkmap]]

[[Image:Template:TNPolkboundary]]

Quick Dates[edit | edit source]

Polk County's civil records start the following years:[1]

Birth Marriage Death Census Land Probate
1908 1894  1908  1880  1894 1873 

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

[[Image:

Polk County Tennessee courthouse.jpg

Polk County Courthouse, Benton, Tenn.

]]Polk County Courthouse
6239 Highway 411
Benton, TN 37307
Phone: 1-423-338-4522


Polk County Clerk
Marriage and probate records
P.O. Box 158
6239 Hwy 411, #102
Benton, TN 37307
Phone: 1-423-338-4526

Polk County Register of Deeds
Land records
P.O. Box 293
6239 Hwy 411
Benton, TN 37307
Phone: 1-423-338-3100

Polk County Clerk of Court
Court records
P.O. Box 256
6239 Highway 411
Benton, TN 37307
Phone: 1-423-338-4524

Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Template:RAOGKcourthouse

History[edit | edit source]

[[Image:

President James Knox Polk (1795-1849)

]]

The county is named after President James Knox Polk (1795-1849).[2]

Parent County[edit | edit source]

1839--Polk County was established 28 November 1839 from McMinn and Bradley Counties. Early records may be found under McMinn and Bradley Counties.
County seat: Benton [3]

County Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Hear it spoken[4]

Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, murphynw@familysearch.org.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

1895, 1935--Fires damaged records

  • Lost census: 1890
  • Lost deeds: 1839 to 1893
  • Lost marriages: 1839 to 1893
  • Lost probate: 1839 to 1872

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:

Places/Localities[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

Apalachia Coletown Maggies Mill Postelle
Archville Columbus (hist.) McAllister Hill Probst
Austral Conasauga McFarland Reesetown
Ball Play Copperhill McGeetown Reliance
Belltown Delano McHarg Rymers
Belltown Hill Ducktown Newtown Servilla
Benton Farner Oak Grove Staffordtown
Benton Springs Fetzerton (hist.) Ocoee Stewardtown
Benton Station Grassy Creek Old Patty Sylco
Boonville (hist.) Grief (hist.) Oldfort Towee
Camp Ocoee Hambright Parksville Turtletown
Caney Creek Harbuck Patterson Mill Wetmore
Chable (hist.) Isabella Patty Willis Springs
Chanceytown Linsdale Pine Ridge

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

African American[edit | edit source]

United States African Americans Gotoarrow.png Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


  • Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.  Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.
  • Polk Co. TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.
  • Information on Polk County cemeteries, originally published in the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Quarterly, is available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • Inscriptions of Polk County, Tennessee Cemeteries. Free Lookups Available!

Census[edit | edit source]

1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Polk County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Polk County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project®].

1840

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

1850

1850 Agricultural Census

  • Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Polk County is included in Vol. 1.]

1860

1870

1880

  • Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Polk County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler & Associates, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2s 1880. Free Lookups Available!

1900

  • Polk County Historical & Genealogical Society. Polk County, Tennessee 1900 U.S. Census. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1900.

1910

  • Polk County Historical & Genealogical Society. Polk County, Tennessee 1910 U.S. Census. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1910.

1920

1930

  • Presswood, Marian Bailey and Jo Ann Finnell. Polk County 1930 U.S. Census. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2003. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 X2p 1930.

Church[edit | edit source]

Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration.  For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.

  • Polk County Church Records
- Family History Library Catalog - Polk County Church Records
  • Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.
- Family History Library Catalog - Polk County Church History
  • If the records you need are not through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.  Two sites that give information about churches in Polk County are:
- List of Polk County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
- List of Polk County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)

Baptist

  • [1879-1943] Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943.  TSLA Reel #348 FHL 840019
  • [1879-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. FHL 976.8 K29s vol.1   Index to original Old Friendship Baptist Church Records. Polk County, 1879-1943.

Court[edit | edit source]

DNA[edit | edit source]

DNA Double Helix.png
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Polk County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.

Family Histories[edit | edit source]

It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:

  • Locate publications about direct ancestors
  • Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
  • Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Polk, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 20,000 entries.

  • The Heritage of Polk County, Tennessee, 1839-1997. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society (Tennessee), 1997. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 H2h.

Bibliography

  • [Baily] Baily Family Bible Records, ca. 1838-1958. MSS., FHL US/CAN Film 1697633 Item 8.
  • [Barnes] See Longley.
  • [Cantrell] See Longley.
  • [Curd]
  • [Hildebrand] Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. FHL US/CAN Film 908921 Item 7.
  • [Hood] Hood, Dellmann Osborne. The Tunis Hood Family. Portland, OR: Metropolitan Press, 1960. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H761h; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
  • [Land] Land, Barbara and Gary Land. The Land's & the Staige's. 2 vols. [Ukiah, Calif.: B. & G. Land], 1994. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L299L ff.
  • [Langley] See Longley.
  • [Longley] Matthews, Addah Longley. Genealogy, Curd-Longley, Cantrell-Barnes. North Newton, KS: Mennonite Press, 1966. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C922g; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
  • [Quintrell] Quintrell: Family Bible Records, 1830-1941. MSS., FHL US/CAN Film 1307616 Item 61.
  • [Ward] Bell, Annie W.B. Military and Genealogical Records of the Famous Indian Woman Nancy Ward. Typescript, 1961. FHL US/CAN Film 875418 Item 2.
  • [Ward] Clemmer, Sudie, J.D. Clemmer, and George F. Mellen. Nancy Ward and the Hildebrand Family of Polk County, Tennessee: Reprinted Newspaper Clippings from the J.D. Clemmer Scrapbooks. Benton, Tenn.: Polk County News, 1962. FHL US/CAN Film 908921 Item 7.
  • [Ward] Holland, Hubert G. Nancy Ward A/K/A Cherokee Rose and Beloved Woman. Typescript, FHL US/CAN Film 1750757 Item 14.
  • [Whitson] McDuffee, Ted Ransom. Duff to McDuffee on One Leaf: The Family History James H. Duff-McDuffee and Nancy Ann Whitson with Ancestors and Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee Valley Pub., 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D873m.
  • [Young] Stein, Carl F. Some Descendents of James Pickens Young 1815: of Polk, Rhea, Hamilton, Blount, & Knox Counties, Tenn., Cherokee, & Gaston Counties, North Carolina. Family Group Sheets. FHL US/CAN Film 2055385 Item 2.

Land[edit | edit source]

Early Polk County Deed Books are lost. In 1970, TSLA microfilmed surviving Deed Books 1 to 10 (1897 to 1911), Trust Deed Books 1 to 4 (1894-1911) and a General Index (1897-1938). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1012141-1012149.

Law and Legislation[edit | edit source]

  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps[edit | edit source]

Military[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War

The following Polk County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:

Additional resources include:

War of 1812

  • Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Polk County pensioners (p. 50).]

Civil War

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to do free obituary lookups in Polk County newspapers.

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Polk County click on the following cities or towns:

Occupations[edit | edit source]

  • Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Polk County.]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:

Ansearchin' News
Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Polk County, Tennessee have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.
East Tennessee Roots
Genealogical articles with abstracts of Polk County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these articles is available online. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available online. The Family History Library has collected most issues of East Tennessee Roots FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.
The Pellissippian
Genealogical articles with abstracts of Polk County, Tennessee records were published in the The Pellissippian (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their website. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25p.
Polk County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly and Newsletter
This quarterly has been in publication since 1995. For more information, visit the society's website. Most issues are available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 D25p.
Index found in PERIodical Source Index (PERSI)
Digital version of volume 12 available at BYU Family History Archives.

Prisons[edit | edit source]

Learn if your Polk County ancestors went to prison!

Probate[edit | edit source]

Taxation[edit | edit source]

The original Polk County Tax Books 1893-1902 were microfilmed by TSLA in 1970. Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 1012150-1012151.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

The original Polk County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1970, TSLA microfilmed Marriage Books 1 to 18 (1894-1970). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 840021-840023, 1013614, 1012138-1012139.

Polk County's marriage records have been abstracted multiple times. As a guide to lead you back to the original sources, Blankenship's book surpasses the others for the early years, as she cites original volume and page numbers. The following is a list of these publications:

  • [1894-1907] Jones, Viola H. Marriage Records, Polk County, Tennessee, 1894 through 1907: Recorded in Volumes 1, 2, 3. Louisville, Tenn.: V.H. Jones, 1987. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 V2j. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, along with marriage dates.]
  • [1894-1907] Blankenship, Nelly M. Polk County Marriages: Vol. 4 Sept. 1894 - Sept. 1907, v. 1 - 4. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: F.M. Blankenship, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 V28b. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, officiators, and bondsmen, dates of marriage, along with volume and page numbers and "extra" information.]
  • [1894-1970] Poteet-Pitts, Jennie Vee. Polk County, Tennessee Marriages 1894 through 1970. Louisville, Tenn.: V.H. Jones, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8875 V28p. Free Lookups Available! [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, along with marriage dates for early marriages; greater detail for more recent marriages, including volume and page numbers.]
Divorce[edit | edit source]

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Polk County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:

  • W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.
Death[edit | edit source]

For deaths of Methodists in Polk County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]

Polk County Historical & Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 636
Benton, TN 37307

East Tennessee Historical Society
601 S. Gay St.
P.O. Box 1629
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629
Phone: 1-865-215-8824
E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Benton Public Library
Hwy 411
Benton, TN 37307
Phone: 1-423-338-4536

Web Sites[edit | edit source]

 Wikipedia has more about this subject: Polk County, Tennessee

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.), 1941; "Earliest County Records," Tennessee State Library and Archives.
  2. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee", Wikipedia.
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002), 643.
  4. ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
v • d• e
Links to Tennessee-related articles
Topics
Counties
Anderson · Bedford · Benton · Bledsoe · Blount · Bradley · Campbell · Cannon · Carroll · Carter · Cheatham · Chester · Claiborne · Clay · Cocke · Coffee · Crockett · Cumberland · Davidson · Decatur · DeKalb · Dickson · Dyer · Fayette · Fentress · Franklin · Gibson · Giles · Grainger · Greene · Grundy · Hamblen · Hamilton · Hancock · Hardeman · Hardin · Hawkins · Haywood · Henderson · Henry · Hickman · Houston · Humphreys · Jackson · Jefferson · Johnson · Knox · Lake · Lauderdale · Lawrence · Lewis · Lincoln · Loudon · McMinn · McNairy · Macon · Madison · Marion · Marshall · Maury · Meigs · Monroe · Montgomery · Moore · Morgan · Obion · Overton · Perry · Pickett · Polk · Putnam · Rhea · Roane · Robertson · Rutherford · Scott · Sequatchie · Sevier · Shelby · Smith · Stewart · Sullivan · Sumner · Tipton · Trousdale · Unicoi · Union · Van Buren · Warren · Washington · Wayne · Weakley · White · Williamson · Wilson
Extinct
Counties
Major
Repositories
Migration
Routes
Cumberland River · Mississippi River · Tennessee River · Cumberland Trace · Black Fox Trail · Bolivar and Memphis Trail · Butterfield Overland Mail · Catawba Trail · Chattanooga-Willstown Road · Nickajack Trail · Cisco and Middle Tennessee Trail · Cumberland and Great Lake Trail · Cumberland and Ohio Falls Trail · Federal Road · Great Indian Warpath · Great South Trail · Great Trading Path · Great Valley Road · Jackson's Military Road · Jonesboro Road · Kentucky Road · West Tennessee Trail · Maysville Turnpike · Memphis, Pontotoc and Mobile Trail · Mississippi and Tennessee River Trail · Nashville Road · Nashville-Saline River Trail · Chickasaw Trail · Old Cherokee Path · Tennessee, Ohio and Great Lakes Trail · Unicoi Trail · West Tennessee Chickasaw Trail · Wilderness Road · Illinois Central Railroad

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Polk_County,_Tennessee_Genealogy&oldid=435845"