Polk County Missouri Genealogy

Polk County Courthouse, Bolivar, Missouri

Polk County Topics of Interest

Polk Co. Message (Query) Board
Polk Co. Family Group Sheets  Send Yours Today!
Marriage Records
Polk County Surnames
Civil War Vets Buried in Polk Co.

Confederate Pension Applications-Polk Co. 


Photos

Polk Co. Today
  
Updated-19 Aug '06

Published Resources and Lookup Volunteers  

MO Death Certificate Database
Print images, 1910--1935 more to come!
Index for
1910--1956
Polk Co. Land   
Patents   1831 - 1969

Obituary   Submission Form Newest Obituaries Posted   
Polk County Historical Society 1870 & 1900 Polk Co. Census Images Polk County Genealogical Society The Ozarks Genealogical Society, Inc.
 Unknown

Can U help?

     
Polk County Photo Album

Another Polk County Album   Updated-19 Aug '06 1926,FairPlay 
8th Grade Graduation 
Index to Polk County History, 1876 5th Missouri Infantry
The William Ruyle Diary
Topography

and Migration

Patterns

Bible Records

Biographies & Obituaries

Gideon H.
Higginbotham
1845 thru the
Civil War

 Matilda Polk Campbell Chapter of the DAR
Cemetery Photo's

Family Group Sheets Form

    Check out the Polk Co. FGS's

History
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Letters & More
Find A Grave Area Reunions 
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Libraries
Missouri Digital Map Library.
Historic Sites of Interest Early  Settlers  Archived Queries

Research Helps

Bibliography
Databases
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Early Press
Polk Co. Archives
Births & Stillbirths
Missouri MOGenWeb Project

Links   ~=~=~=~        Cemeteries in Polk Co.


According to the 2000 census, Polk County has a population of 26,992 residents

Click for Bolivar, Missouri Forecast


My goal is to keep this page updated and to continue to add new features as I receive them. All that I have or know of general research material is and will be posted on these pages.  I hope you find these pages helpful.  If you have information you want to share, I would love to hear from you.      This site relies on YOUR contributions...

 Send to:  Kay Griffin Snow


  All work and material on this site has been donated, and placed here for your research as a free service by volunteers. If you have reached this site through a link for which you paid for the service, the fee you pay does not support this web site. You may return to this site through the USGenWeb, MOGenWeb, Polk  County Missouri and continue to research for free.

 

Links to external web sites are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or approval of any of the products, services or opinions contained in any external web site.


Polk County Research Helps

Polk County now has its own mail list!  To subscribe send a message to [email protected]     
please turn off your signature, leave the "subject line" blank and place one word in the message:  <<<<     subscribe    >>>>>


We have wonderful look up helpers, follow the link to Published Resources and Lookup Volunteers.


MO Vital Records Information

The 1870 and 1900 Census for Polk Co., MO, now online.

First you need to read the <instructions>

1870 Census

1900 Census


Polk County Topography and Migration

The Ozark Plateau is the states largest land region. Forested Hills and low mountains give it scenic beauty. The plateau rises 500 to 1,00 feet or more above sea level. The river valleys are about the only flat land in the Ozark Region. The plateau is one of the nation's major tourist areas because of it's many caves, large springs and lakes, and clear fast-flowing streams. The Springfield Plateau makes up much of the Ozark Plateau. Polk County sits on the Springfield Plateau. The Pomme De Terre River runs through the center of Polk County, with the South End of The Pomme De Terre Lake at the top of the county.

Polk County Map  
     The 1895 Atlas for Polk County. Missouri     

1903 Polk County Plat Book Online- Courtesy of Judy Reustle      

1930 Missouri Counties Plat Book Online - published by W.W. Hickson, and Co. in 1930 and held in the Special Collections Department of Ellis Library at the University of Missouri-Columbia.


Township Map of Polk County

Towns  (then and now) according to Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1889.

Aldrich, in Madison Twp.;
Bolivar,
the county seat is located at the county's geographical center; 
Brighton,
located in Looney Twp. abt. 12 miles E of Bolivar;
Cliquot (note the L),
Dunnegan
(Dunnegan Springs), Campbell Twp.;
Eudora, 
Fair Play, 
in N part of Madison Twp. abt 10 miles W of Bolivar;
Flemington,
Goodnight,
Mooney Twp. 16 miles from Bolivar;
Goodson,
Graydon
(Graydon Springs) Jackson Twp.;
Halfway,
Benton Twp. abt 12 miles E of Bolivar;
Humansville,
in Johnson Twp. abt 17 miles NW of Bolivar, named in honor of James Human;
Huron,
Morrisville,
Looney Twp. 10 miles S of Bolivar, founded in 1870 by Morris Mitchell;
Orleans, in Jackson Twp. abt. 12 miles SW of Bolivar;<<Read the story
Pleasant Hope,
Mooney Twp. is in the SE corner of the county, abt. 14 miles from Bolivar; 
Polktown
(Polk post office) located in Greene Twp. abt. 12 miles NE of Bolivar;
Rondo, in Jefferson Twp. abt. 12 miles NE of Bolivar;
Sentinel Prairie,
in Greene Twp. abt. 13 miles NE of Bolivar;
Shady Grove, Madison Twp. abt. 12 miles SW of Bolivar;
Sharon was located in Jackson Twp. near the southern county line, the post office was known as Gulf; 
Slagle,
north part of Looney Twp. abt. 5 1/2 miles from Bolivar;  
Wishart,
(Frisco post office).


The Polk County Genealogical Society    Visit their website.

Please use your browser's BACK button to return to Polk Co., MOGenWeb


Polk County Courthouse
102 E. Broadway
Bolivar, MO 65613
417-326-4031

Clerk Circuit Court, Room 14

Recorder of Deeds, Room 8

Bolivar, (417) 326-4924 or 326-4912.

Clerk County Commission, Polk County Courthouse, Room 11, Bolivar, (417) 326-4031.

For a list of available records either print or microfilm, see Bibliography (Near Top of this page).


Funeral Homes

PITTS FUNERAL HOME INC
316 E Broadway St.
Bolivar, 65613-1626
417-326-5211

BUTLER FUNERAL HOME
407 E Broadway St.
Bolivar, 65613-2018
417-326-5233

MURRAY FUNERAL HOMES
911 W. Broadway St., Bolivar, 65613,(417) 326-7900
220 N. Bolivar Rd, Humansville. 65674,(417) 754-2215

Polk County Libraries

The Polk County Library (formerly called Southwest Regional Library) has two facilities. Humansville and Bolivar. Each is located in the central part of their respective towns. The Bolivar facility has a wide variety of genealogical materials. All of the newspapers listed here are available on microfilm.  (These are copies of extant newspapers).
The mailing address is 1690 W. Broadway (West Hwy 32), Bolivar, MO 65613                  Phone: 417.326.4531

They do not do genealogy research.....Closed Sunday;
       
Hours:  9-6 M-W-F; Evening Hours 9-9 on T-T; 9-4 Sat.


The Humansville branch of the Library has a collection of Obituaries from Humansville and Bolivar papers for the past 12 years. Ask for a surname search by using interlibrary loan request or write the library sending SASE with request.


The Southwest Baptist University Library is open to the public. Though it should be noted that the SBU Library has very little if any historical and genealogy related material.

The North Ward Museum operated and maintained by the Historical Society is open May through September. The archive room houses many early county court records.  

The museum is closed for the winter months, remember they open again in May.....

When the museum is open the hours are; 1 - 4 pm Mon. through Sat. 
          The phone number is:  417-326-6850.

The Historical Society of Polk County: PO Box 423, Bolivar MO 65613.

Books for Sale by the Historical Society of Polk County 


Springfield-Greene County Main Library, 397 E. Central, Springfield MO, The third floor, Shepard Room, is genealogy and local history.

Not a library but will add for good measure: The courthouse has never burned so all records are available except what neglect and time have damaged and those that have been given to the Historical society.. It is open M-F, 8 - 5.


State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia is the preeminent research facility for the study of the Show Me State's heritage.


The Ozarks Genealogical Society, Inc.
OGS Library

534 W. Catalpa
Springfield, MO 65807

Ozar'kn is a Quarterly publication of the Ozarks Genealogical Society, Inc.


Genealogy Column in the Springfield News-Leader

  Check out the web site for the: Monday edition of the
Springfield News-Leader,

http://www.news-leader.com/springfield/lifestyle/genealogy/index_new.shtml

includes Gloria Bogart Carter's genealogy column, which accepts queries, no charge.
    To place a query in the column, send it to Gloria with your snail mail address; your email address and/or telephone number can be included at your discretion. 

Gloria Bogart Carter
733 S. Farm Road 89
Springfield, MO 65802-9525
417-869-7060
[email protected]


 


Polk County FAQ's


Polk County Historic Sites of Interest

North Ward Schoolhouse Museum
The Polk Co. Historical Society operates and maintains a museum which is housed in the North Ward Schoolhouse in Bolivar. It is open from May through September. A small admission fee is charged. The North Ward building was built in 1903 and was the high school until a high school building was built in 1927. Many of the earliest county court records are housed in the archive room of this building. The original probate packets are in the archive room also. The originals have been microfilmed by the MO Archives and are available for viewing in the courthouse or at the state archives.

The Butterfield Overland Mail Route ran through Bolivar.

Bolivar has a beautiful wooded park in the north part of town.

The county courthouse on the public square was built in 1907.

Bolivar is home to Southwest Baptist University.

A statue of Simon Bolivar, the great liberator of South American, is in Neuhart Park. The statue was a gift of the Republic of Venezuela to the city of Bolivar. July 5, 1948 was Bolivar's big day in history as President Harry Truman and Venezuelan president, Romulo Gallegos were in Bolivar to dedicate the statue.

Area Reunions

Private web sites with Polk County connections

Descendants of Peter Price (1780)

Descendants of Peter Price (1826)

Polk County Databases

Polk County Missionary Baptist Association Obituary Index

Polk County Pension List January 1883

Autograph Book from Morrisville Academy

Polk County School - web site's 

Enon Cemetery

Moore Cemetery, Huron, Polk County

Richardson Cemetery #1, Johnson Twp.

Shady Grove Cemetery, #1 Union Twp., Aldrich  <Partial list> <Some Pictures>

Shady Grove Cemetery, #2 Johnson Twp., Humansville

Trimble Cemetery  - SW of Fair Play

Some Polk County restaurants and motels

About the MOGenWeb Project

Polk County Links

Polk County Genealogical Society


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THE BOLIVAR HERALD-FREE PRESS

Main Page                            Obituaries


Bolivar High School Alumni/Faculty Directory
Fair Play High Alumni/Faculty Directory
Marion C. Early High, Morrisville Alumni/Faculty Directory
Halfway Secondary Alumni/Faculty Directory
Humansville High Alumni/Faculty Directory
Pleasant Hope High Alumni/Faculty Directory


                            MOGenWeb Links

Return to Missouri Genealogy MOGenWeb Page



The Missouri Tombstone Transcription Project


 The Missouri Census Transcription Project                   

                   
 
 Visit The Missouri Archives /  Polk County Records in the Missouri Archives --Polk County Birth Register and Resister of Stillbirths  +  Other Records         

   1900 Polk County Census Images

  Visit our neighbor to the West, Cedar County                              

  Visit our neighbor to the South-West, Dade County                          
 

Visit our neighbor to the North, Hickory County

Visit our neighbor to the North, St. Clair County


Visit our neighbor to the North-East, Dallas County


Visit our neighbor to the South-East, Webster County


Visit our neighbor to the South, Greene County


GENDEX: The WWW Genealogy Index (Gene Stark)

Genealogists' Index to the World Wide Web (John Rigdon)

Geographic Names Information System  (GNIS)


MOGenWeb Project USGenWeb Project WorldGenWeb Project

State Coordinator: Larry Flesher, Assistant, Denise Woodside


 
  SW MO       Ann Arbor, MI
 
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   This page was last updated 27 April 2009

 


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