Polk County, TN Historical & Genealogical Society Publications

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

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Books Available for Purchase

Polk County Heritage Book: 733 family stories, church, organizations, community histories - all in a 400 page beautiful hardbound gold stamped cover and spine, surnam index. Now in our third reprint - only a limited number presently available. Over 1,500 copies have been sold. Makes a wonderful birthday, Christmas or other special occasion gift for anyone with Polk County roots or interest. Contact the Polk County Historical &Genealogical Society for cost or more information. <presswood at wingnet.net>

The Heritage of
Polk County
Tennessee
1839 - 1997

NEW! The Resting Places: Inscriptions of Polk County Cemeteries by Jo Ann Finnell. A great new resource of every legible inscription in every known cemetery in Polk County - nearly 200 cemeteries. Approximately 690 pages, hardbound, full name index, location, GPS coordinates, everything you could want in a book like this.

Fun, Facts, & Philosophy: The Diary of John Coffee Williamson 1858 - 1861,

Edited by Dr. Ben McClary, 166 pages, over 1,000 name index, 55 page introduction full of 'tidbits' of Polk County history, much of which was gleaned from 1954 interviews of JCW descendents. Harbound.

PCHGS is proud to have published every single extant census in the past eight years since
      reorganization in May of 1995 and all are available for sale at a very reasonable price.
                     1840 Polk county Census
                     1850 Polk County Census
                     1860 Polk county Census
                     1870 Polk County Census
                     1880 Polk County Census
                     1900 Polk County Census
                     1910 Polk County Census
                     1920 Polk County Census
       NEW! 1930 Polk County Census

The History of Polk County by Roy G. Lillard and edited by Marian Bailey Presswood. 400 pages, hardbound, full name index, history of the county from its Cherokee Territory days until the present. Valuable appendix information includes lists of servicemen from several wars, county officials and much more. Pictures at the end of each of the 12 chapters.

Marriage Records Polk County Tennessee 1894-1970: Compiled by Jennie V. Poteet-Pitts and published by Viola Jones. Alphabetical. Softbound.

The Old Homeplace: by retired Forest Service employee, Thurman Parish, Jr. 103 pages of "Faces and Places" in the mountains of Polk County before there was a Cherokee National Forest. Softbound.

Confederate History of Polk County: by A. J. Williams: Mr. Williams was a County Chairman, County Court Clerk, and a Clerk and Master in early Polk County. A "must have" for anyone interested in the Civil War in Polk County. Softbound.

Vital Statistics 1911-1912: transcribed by PCHGS Secretary/Treasurer Jo Ann Finnell. 26 pages soft spiral bound. Bonus: First automobile owners in the county listed in the back.

Back issues of the PCHGS Quarterly are available, Vol. 1-9 four issues each volume except No. 1 Only 3 quarterlies were published our first year, 1995.

1931 Chilhowee: 32 page softbound copy of the first yearbook of Polk County High
School.

Newspapers

The Ducktown Eagle was the county's first newspaper, published in 1858 with W. P. Collins, editor. Only one crumbling copy still in existence that we know of.

     Address: P. O. Box 129, Benton, TN 37307
     Email: Polk County News
     The Polk County News, with editors/owners Ingrid and Randolph Buehler, now in it's 120th year, continues to serve Polk County. A complete list of back articles      available on communities and families in Polk County can be obtained by mail (send SASE) or email. Please note that the staff is not in a position to do any searching for information.

First Families of Polk County Certificate Program

Address: c/o Polk County Historical & Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 636, Benton, TN 37307.

The First Families Project of Polk County was begun to pay tribute to our pioneer settlers. Anyone who has an ancestor(s) living in Polk County when it was formed in the fall of 1839 or organized in the Spring of 1840 - and can prove it - is eligible to become a member and receive the beautiful gold certificate suitable for framing. Each step in the line of descent must be proven by primary source records and all material submitted will become the property of PCHGS and placed in our files for the use other researchers. Please email Marian Presswood for details or click here for page one and here for page two of the application form.

Volunteers Willing to Do Look-ups
Please send a polite request and PLEASE be specific on what family and/or topic you would like checked. These volunteers check references for Polk and surrounding counties only. They will not answer your question(s) if not identified. Thanks for you cooperation!

Marian Presswood
Polk County Cemetery Records, all Polk County census records 1840-1930

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