Polk County, Georgia Genealogy
Guide to Polk County, Georgia ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Polk County, Georgia | |||||||||
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 Location in the state of Georgia | |||||||||
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| Founded | 20 December, 1851 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Cedartown | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Polk County Courthouse PO Box 268 Cedartown, GA 30125-0268 Phone: 770.749.2100 Polk County Website | ||||||||
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 2.1 History
- 2.2 Places/Localities
- 2.3 Genealogy Resources
- 2.3.1 Research Guides
- 2.3.2 African Americans
- 2.3.3 Bible Records
- 2.3.4 Cemeteries
- 2.3.5 Census
- 2.3.6 Church Records
- 2.3.7 Court
- 2.3.8 Genealogy
- 2.3.9 Land and Property
- 2.3.10 Local Histories
- 2.3.11 Maps
- 2.3.12 Military
- 2.3.13 Naturalization
- 2.3.14 Newspapers
- 2.3.15 Occupations
- 2.3.16 Probate Records
- 2.3.17 Taxation
- 2.3.18 Vital Records
- 2.3.19 Voter Records
- 3 Genealogy Societies and Libraries
County Information
Polk County, Georgia Record Dates
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| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
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1852 |
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1860 |
1852 |
1852 |
County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse
PO Box 268
Cedartown, GA 30125-0268
Phone: 770.749.2100
Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records; Clerk Superior court has divorce, court and land records from 1852[1]
Clerk of Superior Court
100 Prior St., Courthouse No.1
P.O. Box 948
Cedartown, GA 30125
Phone: (770) 749-2114
Fax: (770) 749-2148
Probate Court of Polk County
100 Prior Street
Rm 102
Cedartown, GA 30125
Phone: 770-749-2128
History
Parent County
1851--Polk County was created 20 December 1851 from Paulding and Floyd Counties. County seat: Cedartown [2]
Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Georgia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Georgia County Boundary Maps" (1758-1932) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Variant Spellings
Record Loss
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Bartow • Cherokee County, Alabama • Cleburne County, Alabama • Floyd • Haralson • Paulding
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Genealogy Resources
Research Guides
African Americans
Bible Records
Cemeteries
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The following web site may have additional information on Polk County cemeteries.
- Interment.net Georgia cemetery records
Census
Church Records
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 Georgia denominations, see the Georgia Church Records wiki page.
LDS Ward and Branch Records
- Polk
Court
Genealogy
Land and Property
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 Georgia Land and Property for additional information about early Georgia land grants from the government. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions (generally buying and selling deeds) were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Polk County, Georgia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Georgia Local Histories.
Maps
Military
- Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
Civil War
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Georgia Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - Georgia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
Regiments. Service men in Polk County, Georgia Genealogy 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 County, Georgia Genealogy:
- - 20th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company D
- - 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company D
- - Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
- Carter, Larry D. 2012. Polk County, Georgia the first one-hundred years. [S.l.]: L.D. Carter. (page 227-328; 581-638) 975.8375 H2
Naturalization
Newspapers
Newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Polk County, Georgia Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog. Do a Place search for Polk County, Georgia Genealogy to find these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Occupations
Probate Records
Online Probate Records
- 1742–1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1742–1990 Georgia Probate Records 1742-1990 at FamilySearch.org images
Colonial courts kept some early probate records. From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records. The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.
Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library on microfilm.
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, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).
- 1848-1911 - Wills, 1848-1911 (digital images) Georgia Pioneers $
- 1848-1936 - Index to Will Book A, 1848-1936 Georgia Pioneers $
- 1860-1893 - Index to Annual Returns and Vouchers, 1860-1893 Georgia Pioneers $
Taxation
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district.
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Georgia State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online..
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Georgia. See also How to order Georgia Vital Records
Birth
Marriage Records
- 1560-1993 - Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1699 - 1944 - Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry.com— index $
- 1754 - 1960 - Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1785 - 1950 - Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
- 1787 - 1962 - Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962 at FamilySearch — index
- 1808 - 1967 - Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1824 - 1850 - Marriages 1824-1850 Georgia Pioneers $
- 1828 - 1978 - Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1852 - 1888 - Polk County Marriage Books A and B Index 1852-1888. Batch M713521 at FamilySearch - free.[4]
- 1884 - 1895 - Polk County Marriage Books C and D Index 1884-1895. Batch M713522 at FamilySearch - free.</ref>
- 1885 - 1886 - Marriages from Newspapers Georgia Pioneers $
- 1891 - 1895 - Polk County Marriage Book D Index 1891-1895. Batch M713523 at FamilySearch - free.
Death Records
- 1914 - 1927 - Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
- 1919 - 1998 - Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1928 - 1939 - Georgia Deaths 1928-1939 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
- 1933 - 1998 - Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch.org — index
Vital Record Substitutes
Voter Records
- 1867-1868 - Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
Genealogy Societies and Libraries
Polk County Historical Society
205 N College St.
PO Box 203
Cedartown 30125-2603
Email:staff@polkhist.org
Website
Aragon Historical Society
PO Box 333
Aragon, GA 30104-0333
Telephone Number: 770-684-3771
Website
Family History Centers
Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.
Websites
- Polk County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Georgia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Polk County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Georgia Pioneers
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Polk County, Georgia. Page 159 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Paul K. Graham, Georgia Courthouse Disasters (Decatur, Georgia: Genealogy Co., 2013), 49-50. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/5/53/Igigeorgiamz.pdf.
