Polk County |
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The county originally derived from Rutherford County in 1855. It was named after William Polk who served in the Revolutionary war for five years. His heroism and service garnered a place in the North Carolina Legislature in 1783 and appointment as the Surveyor General of lands recently opened in the western part of the new state (now Tennessee). The Green River, where numerous surveys were performed, crosses the territory in a west-to-east direction and is one of the principle tributaries of the French Broad River. The county lies upon the border of South Carolina. Several gold mines were once in operation in the middle and southern sections. Monazite (used for industrial purposes) was mined to an extent. The Green River Plantation, considered the finest antebellum house in Polk county, is located on the flood plain of the Green River. It was part of the Speculation boundary and originally owned by the descendents of Tench Coxe until 1958. Today the 42 room plantation is restored and open to guests. William M. Justice (Superintendent of Polk County Schools), brother of C.B. Justice, corresponded with his brother pertaining to land speculation matters, often on Polk County school letterhead. Revival services were held at the Baptist Church on numerous occasions under the direction of the pastor, Rev. T.B Justice. Part of the time, the minister had assistance from two of his brothers, I.T. Justice and Baylus Justice. T.B Justice was also pastor of the Church at Mills Spring. Friendship Church, formerly known as Forman's Friendship Church outside of Saluda was named in recognition of Joshua Forman, who came to Rutherford County about 1830, as resident agent for the Speculation Land Company. Forman's Friendship was used jointly by Baptists and Methodists for an extended period of time after the first building was erected in about 1832. Jacob Hyatt arrived in Rutherford County in 1825 to begin his trip of inspection and wrote to his employer in New York (Sackett) on observations concerning the vast territory. In describing what is now Polk County, Hyatt wrote that, "the most part [is] good hasnome[sic] laying Land for cultivation well timbered with Oak and Pine, several excellent seats on Walnut Creek adjacent thereto...for travel in any direction you may, in almost every mile or two, you will either have to cross some River, Creek or beautiful transparent Branch...[and] that no country can be better watered than this County (24 Buncombe to Mecklenburg)." |
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Bibliography: |
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Corbitt, David Leroy. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties 1633-1943. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1950. Griffin, Clarence W. History of Old Tyron and Rutherford Counties North Carolina: 1730-1936. Spartanburg, S.C.: The Reprint Company, 1977. Patton, Sadie Smathers. Buncombe to Mecklenburg Speculation Lands. Forest City, North Carolina: The Western North Carolina Historical Association, 1955. Patton, Sadie Smathers. Sketches of Polk County History. Asheville: Miller Printing Co., 1950. Roundtree, Lynn. The Robbins Collection of Speculation Land Company Records. Armadilo Books:Chapel Hill, NC, 2002 |