Polk County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Polk County is located in the Southwestern portion of North Carolina and shares a border with South Carolina. It was named for Revolutionary War Colonel William Polk.

County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse P O Box 308 Columbus, NC 28722 Phone: 828-894-8450 Clerk superior Court has divorce records from1932 probate and court records from from 1872 Register of Deeds has marriage and land records

Register of Deeds P.O. Box 308 Columbus, NC 28722 Phone: 828-894-8450 Fax: 828-894-5781 Website

Clerk Superior Court P.O. Box 38 Columbus, NC 28722 Phone: (828) 894-4900

Parent County
1855--Polk County was from Henderson and Rutherford Counties. County seat: Columbus

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

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

Neighboring Counties

 * Greenville County, South Carolina
 * Henderson
 * Rutherford
 * Spartanburg County, South Carolina

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — index and images

County Records

 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Polk County for European settlers included:


 * Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
 * Catawba Trail pre-historic
 * Old South Carolina State Road 1747

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 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 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * - 16th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company K
 * - 1st Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company C

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images
 * 1855 - 1921 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

Birth Records

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Death Records

 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce Records

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 -North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1866 - 1969 - Polk County Marriage Index 1866-1969 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Polk County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.