Prior to 1861
The Seminole Indians lived abundantly throughout.

Our Soldiers were stationed at Fort Carroll, Fort Clinch, Fort Cummings, Fort Frasier, Fort Gardner and Fort Meade.

The Bethel (Peas Creek) Campground was established between Homeland and Fort Meade.
It is popularly known as "Mother of South Florida Methodism".

Several families are recorded as "early pioneers" of Polk County:
Blount, Brown, Carlton, Crum, Durrance, Futch, Green, Hamilton, Hancock, Hayman, Hendry, Hollingsworth, Hooker, Knight, McClelland, Parker, Payne, Pennington, Raulerson, Seward, Summerlin, Tillis, Varn, Whidden and Wilson.

1861
February 8th, Polk County was established as Florida's 39th county. It took the name of the eleventh President of the United States, James Knox Polk.

On June 17th, our First Board of County Commissioners, Reading Blount, James Hamilton, Isaac Waters, and Joseph Mizelle, laid the county off into public roadways and apportioned Commissioner's districts.

1862
On March 8th, Capt. Nathan S. Blount marched to Gainesville to muster into the War Between the States as Company E, 7th Fla. Regiment, known as the "South Florida Bulldogs".

Mr. Jake Summerlin, "King of the Crackers", gave over 100 acres in Fort Blount for a county seat.

1867
Then Fort Blount, was renamed to Bartow in honor of Gen. Francis Bartow, the first Confederate General to lose his life at war.

On June 15th, a contract to build the first Polk County Courthouse was awarded to John McAulay. The price agreed to build it ... $3,800.

1878
The county's oldest existing school, Homeland School, was built at Bethel Community known today as Homeland.

1883
The first train rails were built by South Florida Railroad.

1885
Phosphate was discovered! This life changing event took place in the Peace River bed near Fort Meade. An area known as Bone Valley, is famous for its prehistoric animals findings during the phosphate mining process.

1908
Our Historic Polk County Courthouse was constructed by Mr. E.C. Hosford. Additional wings were added in 1926. Today this complex is now the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library and Museum.

1914
It is believed the phrase, "Imperial Polk County - The Heart of Florida" was first published by the Polk County Record in Bartow.

1914 through 1917
The Good Roads Association was formed to pave 217 miles of asphalt roadways ... the largest construction in the south.

Polk County's State Governors:
Park Trammell of Lakeland, 1913-1917; Spessard L. Holland of  Bartow, 1941-1945; and Lawton Chiles of Lakeland, 1991-1998.

Polk County's main industries are:

• Cattle
• Citrus
• Phosphate
• Tourism

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