Polk County, Missouri Genealogy
United States Genealogy 
Missouri, United States Genealogy Polk County
Guide to Polk County Missouri genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Polk County, Missouri | |
| Map | |
 Location of Missouri in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | information needed |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Bolivar |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Polk County Courthouse 102 East Broadway Street Bolivar, Mo 65613 Phone: 417-326-4031 Polk County Website |
Contents
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Recorder hasa marriage from 1835 and land records
from 1836 Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records
from 1857; Probate Judge has probate records from 1947[1]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Biographies
[edit | edit source]
- Family Biographies from The History of Polk County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
BillionGraves:
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Missouri denominations, view the Missouri Church Records wiki page.
LDS Ward and Branch Records
City Directories[edit | edit source]
Court[edit | edit source]
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Missouri Land and Property for information about records of land transfers from the government to private ownership. After that transfer, transactions were usually recorded and are currently housed at the county courthouse.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps[edit | edit source]
- Family Maps of Polk County, Missouri Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Map of 1904 Polk County with numerous small settlements (My Genealogy Hound)
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War Battles[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information, see United States Probate Records.
In Missouri, probate records have usually been recorded by the clerks of the probate courts, but in some counties the common pleas or circuit courts handled this function. They are frequently indexed.
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Missouri Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. For additional guidance on researching and using vital records, see United States Vital Records or How to order Missouri Vital Records.
St. Louis and Kansas City recorded births and deaths starting as early as 1850 for deaths and 1870 for births. The Missouri Department of Health began keeping birth and death records in 1909. County records vary by year and the county. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Missouri Vital Records State Department of Health, the County Clerk's office or order electronically online.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1829-1885 - Polk County Birth Index 1829-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[2]
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- 1836-1874 - Polk County Marriage Index 1836-1874. Batch M515621 at FamilySearch - free.[2]
- 1874-1885 - Polk County Marriage Index 1874-1885. Batch M515622 at FamilySearch - free.[2]
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Genealogical Society[edit | edit source]
120 E. Jackson
P. O. Box 632
Bolivar, Missouri 65613
Phone: (417) 777-2820
Website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mopolkgs/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pcgsmo
Library[edit | edit source]
Polk County Library
1690 W. Broadway
Bolivar, MO 65613
Phone: (417) 326-4531
Website: http://www.polkcolibrary.org/default.htm
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
- Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.
- Bolivar Missouri Family History Center 1575 E Mount Gilead Rd Bolivar MO 65613 United States Location Map
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Biographies from The History of Polk County, Missouri (1889) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Polk County, Missouri. Page 404 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/d/d8/Igimissourij.pdf.
