Polk Communities
Some further information on these communities may be available thru Polk County Historical Society. A small fee may be required for lookups and copies. Please contact Marian Presswood, President.
Link to get information
http://www.wingnet.net/~presswood/polk/index.html
______________________________________
Polk
County Historical
&
Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 636
Benton, TN 37307
If you have further information concerning other Polk County communities, corrections to the information below or even additions to this info please contact us...Joyce G. Reece or Sharon McCormack, your site hosts.
Archville: Located in at the foot of the Kimsey Mountains which is a part of the Cherokee National Forest. Now considered a part of Reliance postal route.
Bakers Creek: First settled by the Hooker and Cox families was located near the Green Settlement on Sylco Mountain…north end.
Ball Play: Located at the foot of Sand Mountain east of Old Fort.
Beech Springs: Just another short distance (apx. 1 mi.) south of Mink Springs. On the Old Federal Road. A church and school existed there. The church still does.
Benton Station: AKA Murny, South and west of Benton just across the Ocoee River. It was an L&N Railroad stop
Benton: The county seat located in western/central Polk County.
Blue Goose: Some communities weren’t ‘officially’ recognized. This one lies at the junction of Mountain Springs Road, Hwy. 411 and Ladd Springs Road.
Blue Ridge: While, perhaps not a recognized community there was a school which children of the Sylco and Sheeds Creek communities attended.
Boanerges: Another church & school located just north of the Conasauga River in southwest Polk Co.
Bonnie: Was the location of the Halfway House on the Old Copper Road. It sat at the mouth of Greasy Creek as it hits the Ocoee River.
Buchanan’s Station:
Chable: Later known as Sylco
Chestua (Chestoee): Located near the mouth of Chestuee Creek which runs into the north side of the Hiwasssee, downriver or westward, from Columbus and Tennessee Town.
Columbus was, briefly, the county seat. The Hiwassee River was the land boundary between the whites and Cherokee. Everything on the north side of the Hiwassee was in McMinn County from 1819 to 1839. Columbus was on the north side of the Hiwassee River
Conasauga: Located on the south side of the Conasauga River in southwestern Polk. Was originally Canasauga. The community sprang up adjacent to David McNair’s home which was the south end of the Ocoee/Conasauga Portage in the early 1800’s.
Cookson Creek: Cookson Creek is located at the foot of what is now the Ocoee District of the Cherokee National Forest. It is south of the Ocoee River, east of Ocoee and south of Benton
Cowcamp: More of a recreation area than a community this lies in the Reliance area at the head of Clear Creek near Biggs Spring Branch…now known as Deep Hollow or Harrison Camp.
Dare: A community near Benton Station that was predominately a black community.
Delano: Named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt this community is a relative new-comer. It lies on the Polk – McMinn County line on 411 Hwy.
Dentville: The Dentville community lies in northwest Polk County...east of Delano, west of Linsdale. It's the home of Polk's oldest church, Friendship Baptist Church.
Ducktown: In the Copper Basin area of eastern Polk. Was originally a Cherokee village near the mouth of Davis Mill Creek. Named after the village chief “Duck”.
Easley Ford: The place where wagons and horses could safely and easily cross the Conasauga River…downriver just a mile or so from the Hwy 411 bridge near the Georgia state line.
Goforth Creek: Goforth Creek lies on the north side of the Ocoee River just opposite Caney Creek. The Goforth families inhabited the area.
Grassy Creek: In the Copper Basin between Grace and Ducktown.
Grace: South of Ducktown, north of Isabella.
Greasy Creek: West of Archville, south of Reliance this community is set in the foothills of the Kimsey Mountains of today’s Cherokee National Forest.
Green Settlement: Located at the head of Bakers Branch on Sylco Mountain in the Ocoee District of the Cherokee National Forest…near the Baker community
Hildabrand Crossing: The northern portion of the Ocoee/Conasauga Portage. This site lies just north of today’s Hwy 64 on the Ocoee River. (The Hildabrand House still stands and is registered on the Historic Register in Polk Co.)
Hiwassee Copper Mines: This community was located in the Copper Basin and existed for many years, near Isabella.
Hiwassee Old Town: A Cherokee village which stretched 4 or 5 miles on both sides of the Hiwassee River. Geographically located just downriver of present day Hwy 411 bridge to the mouth of the Ocoee River. The largest Cherokee town in Polk Co.
Holly Springs: This community lies mostly in Monroe County but several families live there on the Polk Co side. Located between Reliance & Springtown on the south & Tellico Plains and Rural Vale on the north.
Horns Creek: Located just off the Old Federal Road, east of Ocoee and Old Fort…just a few miles south was Ball Play. Named for the Horn family.
Hyatt:
Isabela Station (now Isabella): The community surrounding the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad in the Copper Basin.
Kimsey:
Kimsey’s Store:
Leadill (or Lea-Dill): Later known as Old Fort (after Fort Marr). The community lies apx. 10 miles south of Benton on Hwy 411. (This writer’s opinion is that the community was probably named after two prominent families in the area…the Lea’s and the Dill’s.
Lindsdale: In north western Polk Co. This area was, also, a part of McMinn County from 1819 to 1838.
Lonsville:
Mary Mine: Located on the old Polk County Hill between Copperhill and Ducktown. Originally called St. Mary's Mine.
McCays: Now known as Copperhill. The area just across the Georgia state line in this community is still known as McCaysville.
McFarland: This is one of the county's many mountain communities. It, geographically, lay on the south side of the Hiwassee just upriver from the mouth of Coker Creek (which flows south out of Monroe County).
McNairs Stand: This stood near the Old Federal Road on the Conasauga River. Named for David McNair whose wife was Delilah Vann, daughter of James Vann.
Mink Springs: One-half mile south of Ocoee Station. Got its name during the 1814 construction of the Old Federal Road
Mug:
Oak Grove: Just north and east of Benton along the Old Federal Road.
Ocoee: A.K.A.Ocoa: Ocoee Tank: The township now located at the junction of Hwys. 411 and 64.
Ocoee Village: Or Ocoee Town. A Cherokee town established along the Hiwassee River during the 1770s – 1780’s. the Ocoee village was located two miles northwest of Benton. Had a stockade or palisade for the town’s protection which was unusual. The town consisted of about 12 homes and families all related to one another. This was the home of the Cherokee wife of Gen. Jospeh Martin and daughter of Nancy Ward, named Betty.
Old Dutch Settlement:
Old Fort (Marr): aka Hiliotrope then later as Leadill or Lea-Dill So named for Old Fort Marr which stood just south of today’s community. The L & N train Depot moved many of the homes to where the community is today…apx 10 miles south of Benton on Hwy 411.
Owen:
Parksville: Most of the old community of Parksville lies under the waters of Lake Ocoee. Named after the Park family. Five to six miles east of Ocoee today’s community stands at the foot of the Parksville Dam and is the hub of one of the most popular recreational aspects in the southeast today….whitewater rafting. (See “The Ocoee’s” on our Records page)
Patty: On the L & N Railroad, this community lies on the north bank of the Hiwassee River between Linsdale and Columbus
Pelton:
Postelle: Just outside Isabella.
Prendergast: Also known as Delano...see above
Probst:
Quinntown: Located near Mary Mine and Ducktown...3 miles from Ducktown.
Red Springs:
Reliance: Lying almost in the center of Polk County this community is in a beautiful valley generated by the waters of the Hiwassee River. Is now a popular tourist attraction because of the white water rafting on the peaceful river.
Rhat:
Rymer Camp:
Rymer:
Sage Hill: This stood just south of the Reliance community…between Reliance and Greasy Creek..where Rob’s Grocery now stands.
Sage Town
Sandhill:
Savannah: A Cherokee village situated just where the Hiwassee River breaks free of the Appalachian Mountains.
Servilla: Located in the Copper Basin near Isabella and Ducktown.
Shady Springs: This was a sparsely settled community whose church and school were called Shady Springs. Apx. Two miles east of the Old Federal Road on Horns Creek Road eventually leading southward to Ball Play.
Shelton Bottom's: Located just south of the Lamontville community on the north bank of the Hiwassee River. Just across the river on the south side was a Cherokee village.
Sheed’s Creek: Just south & over the water divide from Sylco Creek, Baker’s Creek & the Green Settlement. Where Baker Creek runs northward into the Ocoee, Sheed’s runs southward into the Conasauga.
Smith Creek: The Smith Creek settlement lay between Smith Mountain and Apalachia Powerhouse on the south side of the Hiwassee River. Downriver from McFarland, now the Hiwassee District of Cherokee National Forest.
Springtown: North of Reliance in the center of the county. This lies on the road leading from Reliance to Tellico Plains in Monroe County.
Stillwell: aka Stillwell Station, located just south of the Hiwassee River it lays on the road junction of Hwy 411 and 39.
Sylco: Located on Sylco Ridge in what is now the Ocoee District of our Cherokee National Forest. One of many mountain communities.
Tanasi or Tennessee Town: A Cherokee village located on the south side of the Hiwassee river. On the east side of what is now known as the Barnes place and west side of the Jasper Lillard farm. It was almost opposite of the town of Columbus.
Tasqui: Was a pre-historic village in the Conasauga River area during the Archaic & Woodland Indians eras. Could be the oldest know village in Tennessee.
Tumbling Creek:
Tennga: Located on the state line of Tennessee and Georgia. Was once an L&N Railroad stop. (currently Hwy 411)
Towee: At the foot of Towee Mountain stood this community and church...east of Springtown and northeast of Reliance.
Turtletown: North of Ducktown but still in the Copper Basin area. Also named after a village chief.
Wetmore: Just south of Delano this community was named after Mr. Wetmore who handled most of the land grants for the area just after the Cherokee Removal. See McMinn Deeds and Other Data on the Records page at www.rootsweb.com/~tnmcmin2
Willis Springs: AKA Minnewauga This community lies at the foot of the Ocoee District, Cherokee National Forest, on the north side of the Conasauga River. Was also a Cherokee village.