Polk County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse 255 N Broadway Ave Bartow, FL 33830-3912 Phone: 863.534.4540

Boundaries changed 1871. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court, and land records from 1861.

Quick Facts
A bit of history of creation from Hillsborough County.

Parent County
8 February 1861: Polk County was created from Hillsborough County. County seat: Bartow

Description
The county was named for the 11th President of the United States, James Knox Polk. The county seat is Bartow and the county was created February 8, 1861. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps" (1821-1997) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places / Localities
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:

African-Americans

 * USGenWeb Florida African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy
 * Heritage and History in Polk County


 * Willow Lawn Cemetery- African American obituaries

Biography

 * Polk Co FLGenWeb Project Inc
 * History of Polk County Florida, 1928

Cemeteries
The following web site may have additional information on Polk County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census

 * 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

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

Maps

 * 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

Military

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

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

World War I

 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War

 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War

 * Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War distantcousin.com

Newspapers

 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library USGenWeb

Obituaries

 * U.S. Hidden Ancestors Obituaries
 * USGenWeb Obituaries Project Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1784 – 1990 Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
 * 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974
 * Florida State Archives $

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 - at FamilySearch — index

Death Records

 * 1877 - 1939 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1900 - 1921 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1877 - 1998 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com - index ($)

Marriage Records

 * 1802 - 1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1837 - 1974 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1830 - 1993 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1830 - 1957 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1822 - 1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch — index

Societies and Libraries
Imperial Polk Genealogical Society PO Box 10 Kathleen, FL 33849 863-858-2738 Email: [mailto:ipgslakeland@gmail.com ipgslakeland@gmail.com] Website

Polk County Historical/Genealogical Library 100 E. Main St Bartow, FL 33830 Phone: 863 534-4380 Website

Bartow Historical Library

Family History Centers

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

Websites

 * Polk County, FL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Polk County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Polk County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.
 * Polk County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc.