Trails to the Past of Iowa is excepting any donations of genealogy materials that you may have such as marriage announcements, news articles, old obituaries, births, (you do not need the birth certificate) just the information, and biographies.  If you have any of these items please contact me Marie Miller the Iowa State Administrator.

Polk County
On January 13, 1846, the legislative body of the Indiana Territory authorized creation of twelve counties in the Iowa Territory, with general descriptions of their boundaries. On January 17 they further enacted a resolution setting the effective date of the county government for Jasper and Polk Counties as March 1, 1846. Polk County's name referred to United States President James K. Polk, who served from 1845 to 1849.

The first courthouse, a two-story structure, was built in Des Moines in 1846. Rapid settlement and commercial growth in the county soon rendered this building insufficient, so construction of a larger building was initiated in 1858. Due to construction delays and the onset of the Civil War, the structure was not completed until 1866. The present courthouse was erected in 1906, and in 1962 it was extensively renovated and enlarged.

On Line Data

Cities     Alleman     Altoona     Ankeny     Bondurant     Carlisle     Clive     Des Moines     Elkhart     Granger     Grimes     Johnston     Mitchellville     Norwalk     Pleasant Hill     Polk City     Runnells     Sheldahl     Urbandale     West Des Moines     Windsor Heights Census-designated place     Saylorville Unincorporated communities     Avon     Berwick     Enterprise     Farrar     Herrold Townships     Allen     Beaver     Bloomfield     Camp     Clay     Crocker     Delaware     Des Moines     Douglas     Elkhart     Four Mile     Franklin     Jefferson     Lee     Lincoln     Madison     Saylor     Union     Walnut     Washington     Webster

Polk County Court House           Adjacent counties     Boone - northwest     Dallas - west     Jasper - east     Madison - southwest     Marion - southeast     Story - north     Warren - south

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