Polk County, Florida Genealogy

Guide to Polk County, Florida ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named in honor of former US President James K. Polk, whose 1845 inauguration was on the day after Florida became a state. It is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse 255 N Broadway Ave Bartow, FL 33830-3912 Phone: 863-534-4540 Polk County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court, and land records from 1861.

Populated Places
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:

Biographies

 * Polk Co FLGenWeb Project Inc

Census Records

 * 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1893-1922 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1897-1926 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Emigration and Immigration

 * NARA Ships Passenger Lists - These passenger lists cover:
 * 1834-1897 - Immigration of Russians to the United States
 * 1/12/1846-12/31/1851 - Irish Famine
 * 1850-1897 - Germans to the United States
 * 1855-1900 - Italians to the United States

African-Americans

 * USGenWeb Florida African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy
 * Heritage and History in Polk County
 * Willow Lawn Cemetery, African American obituaries

Funeral Homes

 * Alexander Funeral Home in Winter Haven
 * Cannon Funeral Home in Lakeland
 * Caver Funeral Home in Lake Wales
 * Coney Funeral Home in Lakeland
 * Cremation Services of Polk County in Winter Haven
 * David Russell Funeral Home in Lakeland
 * Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales
 * Gause Funeral Home in Bartow
 * Gentry Morrison Funeral Home in Lakeland
 * Heath Funeral Chapel & Crematory in Lakeland
 * Holmes Funeral Directors in Haines City
 * Johnson-Nelson-Gill Funeral Home in Lake Wales
 * Kersey Funeral Home in Auburndale
 * Lakeland Funeral Home in Lakeland
 * Lanier Funeral and Cremation Services in Lakeland
 * Marion Nelson Funeral Homes & Crematory in Lake Wales
 * Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Winter Haven
 * Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home in Winter Haven
 * Richard Funeral Services in Haines City
 * Seigler Funeral Home in Mulberry
 * Steele's Family Funeral Services in Winter Haven
 * Whidden-McLean Funeral Home in Bartow
 * Williams Funeral Home in Bartow

Local Histories

 * M. F. HETHERINGTON (1928). History Of Polk County, Florida (The Record Company Printers, Saint Augustine, FL) hosted at Digital Collections. digital library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
 * Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I
 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Korean War
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War
 * Distantcousin.com Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library USGenWeb

Obituaries

 * USGenWeb Obituaries Project Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records


 * 1784-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1854-1899 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1877 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1936 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1975 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Birth

 * 1880-1935 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1957 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1993 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1974 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1862-1881 - Marriages 1862-1881 at Southeasterngenealogy.com $
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

 * 1877-1939 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1877-1998 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1921 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Voter Records

 * 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)

Family History Centers

 * Lake Hamilton Florida Family History Center (Haines City)
 * Lakeland Florida Family History Center

Libraries
Polk County Library Cooperative 2150 South Broadway Avenue Bartow, FL 33830 Phone: 863-534-0131 Website
 * There are thirteen Libraries throughout the county. Please check the website for locations and address.

Bartow County Historical Genealogical Library 100 East Main Street Bartow, FL 33830 Phone: 863-534-4380 website

Societies
Imperial Polk Genealogical Society PO Box 10 Kathleen, FL 33849 Email: [mailto:ipgs1981@gmail.com ipgs1981@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Polk County Historical Association P O Box 2749 Bartow, FL 33831-2749 Website

Websites

 * Polk County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Polk County (FLGenWeb Project, Inc.)
 * – 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.