Polk County, Wisconsin Genealogy
Guide to Polk County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for James K. Polk. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Polk County Courthouse
100 Polk County Plaza
Balsam Lake, WI 54810
Phone: 715-485-9926
Polk County Website
Register of Deeds has birth records from 1858, marriage records from 1861, death records from 1866 and land records.
Clerk of Circuit Courts has divorce and court records.
Registrar in Probate has probate records.[3]
Polk County, Wisconsin Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1858 | 1861 | 1866 | 1859 | 1853 | 1855 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 1,400 | — |
| 1870 | 3,422 | 144.4% |
| 1880 | 10,018 | 192.8% |
| 1890 | 12,968 | 29.4% |
| 1900 | 17,801 | 37.3% |
| 1910 | 21,367 | 20.0% |
| 1920 | 26,870 | 25.8% |
| 1930 | 26,567 | −1.1% |
| 1940 | 26,197 | −1.4% |
| 1950 | 24,944 | −4.8% |
| 1960 | 24,968 | 0.1% |
| 1970 | 26,666 | 6.8% |
| 1980 | 32,351 | 21.3% |
| 1990 | 34,773 | 7.5% |
| 2000 | 41,319 | 18.8% |
| 2010 | 44,205 | 7.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Polk census records online, see: Wisconsin Census.
State Census
- 1855 Wisconsin State Census, 1855 This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born. - How to Use this Collection
- 1865 Wisconsin State Census, 1865 Name index and images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan. - How to Use this Collection
- 1875 Wisconsin State Census, 1875 Identifies head of household by name. - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 Wisconsin State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — index and images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household. Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth. - How to Use this Collection
- 1895 Wisconsin State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical. - How to Use this Collection
- 1905 Wisconsin State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants. - How to Use this Collection
Federal Census
- 1870 Polk Co. 1870 Census WIGenWeb project
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Wisconsin denominations, view the Wisconsin Church Records wiki page.
- Century Church Congregations - List of churches. WIGenWeb project
- Bethesda Lutheran Church, Early History WIGenWeb Project
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Wisconsin Land and Property for additional information about early Wisconsin land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- Wisconsin Land Patents Database, Polk County (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1888 Polk Co. Plat Book Index WIGenWeb Project
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Ancient Polk County History WIGenWeb Project
- History of West Eureka WIGenWeb Project
- Early History of the St Croix Valley--Maggie Orr O'Neill WIGenWeb Project
- Reminiscences Of Early Pioneer Days in Polk County by Worthy Prentice Index of the book below - WIGenWeb Project
- Reminiscences Of Early Pioneer Days in Polk County by Worthy Prentice WIGenWeb Project
- History of the Village of Centurias, 1900-1950 WIGenWeb Project
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Wisconsin
- Township Map WIGenWeb project
- 1901 Map of Polk County WIGenWeb project
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Polk served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Polk:
- - 2nd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company D
- - 7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company G
- Civil War Veterans of Polk County WIGenWeb project
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Polk County Newspapers Index USGenWeb Archives
- Wisconsin Digital Newspaper at Wisconsin State Historical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Polk Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Polk Courthouse. See the wiki page Wisconsin Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Online Records
- 1800–1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
- 1848–1948 Wisconsin Probate Estate Files 1848-1948 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Wisconsin tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned property or other items that could be taxed were listed, some residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records. For more information see the Wiki page, Wisconsin Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Most counties started keeping records in the 1870s. In 1907, the counties began sending copies to the state.
For pre-1907 births, deaths, and marriages, search the Wisconsin Genealogy Index.
For additional information, see Wisconsin Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1920: Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1808-1920 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
- 1826-1926 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1836-1911 Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1836-1930 Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1855-1867 Polk County Marriage Index Listed alphabetically by both bride and groom. WIGenWeb project
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1907 Polk County Death Index WIGenWeb project
- 1835-1968 Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1907 Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1959-1997 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1965-1984 Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Polk County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- University Archives and Area Research Center
Chalmer Davee Library
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
120 Cascade Avenue
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-3567
Fax: 715-425-0609
Email: archives@uwrf.edu
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Polk County. For state-wide library facilities, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Chalmer Davee Library
University Archives and Area Research Center
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
120 Cascade Avenue
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-3567
Fax: 715-425-0609
Email: archives@uwrf.edu
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Polk County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Wisconsin Societies.
cc
- Amery Historical Society
c/o Amery Public Library
225 Scholl Court
Amery, WI, 54001
Phone 715-554-0239
Website - Luck Area Historical Society and Museum
PO Box 197
301 Main Street
Luck, WI 54853
Phone 715-472-2030
E-mail:lahsmuseum@gmail.com
Facebook
Website - Polk County Wisconsin Genealogical Society
901 8th Street
Centuria, WI 54824
Phone 715-472-2030
E-mail:polkgen@gmail.com
Facebook
Website - Polk County Historical Society
PO Box 41
120 Main Street
Balsam Lake, WI 54810-0041
Phone 715-485-9269
E-mail:info@polkcountymuseum.org
Facebook
Website - Osceola Historical Society
PO Box 342
408 River Street
Osceola, WI 54020
Telephone: 715-294-3530
E-mail:osceolahistorical@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Polk County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Polk County WIGenWeb project
- Polk County Archives USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Polk County, Wisconsin " in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Wisconsin."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Polk County, Wisconsin. Page 755-760, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 757-759.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Polk County, Wisconsin," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Wisconsin#Communities, accessed 26 Dec 2018.
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