410 South Third Street    River Falls, WI 54022 715/425-3567 archives@uwrf.edu

Polk County Collections

Farmington Township, Polk County, ca. 1890
Farmington Township
Polk County, ca. 1890

         

 
 
Polk County Church & Cemetery Records
Church and cemetery records vary significantly by collection but can include items such as burial permits, tombstone inscriptions, sacramental registers, membership lists, anniversary materials, church histories, and financial records.

The River Falls ARC holds Polk County records for: 		 

  • Amery-St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery
  • Osceola- Mt. Hope Cemetery
  • Osceola-St. Mary's Cemetery
Some Polk County Church and Cemetery records can be found on USGenWeb.

Polk County Manuscripts & Special Collections
These collections are comprised of original, one of a kind materials created by individuals or organizations with historical significance to Polk County. Collection inventories for manuscripts housed at the UW-River Falls ARC are currently being automated by the Wisconsin Historical Society and will be linked here as they are made available. Click here to see a list of all collection inventories already available for manuscripts housed at the UW-River Falls ARC. 		 
   
   
Addington, John. Genealogy, 1968. River Falls SC 164  
American Red Cross. Polk County Chapter. Records, 1940-1950. River Falls Mss CW  
Ayers, Ebenezer. Manuscript on Ayer's descendants in Taylor's Falls. 1963. River Falls SC 172  
Baker Title, Land and Title Co., 1879-1958. River Falls Mss AZ, River Falls Micro 167  
Belisle, Earl. Genealogies of the Belisle-Dufresne and the Parent-Mars families. Papers, 1975-1990. River Falls Mss EQ  
Blanding, William M., 1829-1901. Papers, 1847-1958. River Falls Mss X  
Carlson, Veluga Edman, 1892- . Family history, undated. River Falls SC 392  
Dahlberb, Aaron. Biographical information on Dahlberg and on NW WI Electric Co., undated. River Falls SC 148  
Dombrock, Edward, ca. 1880-1950? Account books and misc. records, 1903-1946. River Falls Mss F  
Joe Must Go! Papers of the chairman of the Polk County Republican Party. 1954. River Falls Micro 2  
Kennedy, D. D. Progressive assemblyman (1937-1941). Papers, 1879-1941. River Falls Micro 144  
Luck and vicinity, A brief history of. Remley, T. R. ca. 1908. River Falls SC 72  
Madsen, Charles D. Progressive Party state senator. Papers, 1936-1944. River Falls Mss AC  
Magnusson, Magnus. Letters, 1900, 1915, 1924-1926. River Falls SC 295  
Murphy, Donald G. Genealogy, 1982. River Falls SC 288  
Oak Grove School history, 1950? River Falls SC 18  
Osceola Woman’s Club. History and memorandum, 1945. River Falls SC 283  
A pageant of fairs, 1969. Papers presenting the history of the Polk County Fair. River Falls SC 396  
Peabody, Raymond A. Republican assemblyman. Papers, 1933-1954. River Falls Micro 165  
Pilgrim family, a lengthy history written by Grace Pilgrim Bloom. 1966. River Falls SC 173  
Prentice, Worthy A., 1848-1939.  Reminiscences, undated. River Falls SC 304  
Twetten family, The Simon K. 1852-1949. Apersonal reminiscence by Jennie Hammer. River Falls SC 372  
United War Work Fund. Records, 1918-1919. River Falls Mss CP  
West Denmark, Polk County. An unfinished manuscript written in Danish by Halvdan Helweg. 1869, 1961. River Falls SC 397  
Polk County Maps

Highway Road Maps: ca. 1934; 1950; 1980

Land Inventory: 1938

Pictorial Atlas: 1980

Plat Maps: 1887; 1914; 1924; 1931; ca. 1940; 1950; 1962; 1966; 1969; 1972; 1980; 1986; 1989; 1992; 1996

Railroads Map: undated

 Sanborn Maps: (statewide): 1800’s-1900’s

 Tourist Map: undated

Misc. Maps: 1914 map including Polk County schools, creameries, post offices, mills, and stores; 1930's Works Progress Administration (WPA) map including towns, cities, lakes and rivers; 1930's WPA plat map of the Staple's Addition to Osceola; 1930's WPA map of the McCourt's Addition to St. Croix Falls.

Original Wisconsin plat maps and survery records can be found at the State of Wisconsin's Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Polk County Newspapers
Amery    
Amery Echo: June 14, 1889-July 30, 1891. Indexed: 1889, June – 1891, July  
Amery Free Press: 1906-1908; 1939-1980; Current year and 1 year previous.
   
Balsam Lake  
Polk County Ledger: 1898-1982. Indexed: 1898 – 1910  
   
Centuria  
Centuria Outlook: 1902-1909  
   
Clear Lake  
Clear Lake Star: 1912-1985; Feb. 5, 1905  
   
Frederic  
Frederic Star: 1903-1951.  
Inter-County Leader: 1934-1981.  
   
Luck  
Enterprise-Herald: 1943-1977  
   
Osceola  
Osceola Sun: 1897-1980; Current year and 1 year previous.  
   
Milltown  
Milltown Advertiser: 1954-1966  
Milltown Herald: 1919-1941  
   
Spooner  
Spooner Advocate: 1902-1980  
Spooner Register: 1893-1904  
   
St. Croix Falls  
Dalles of the St. Croix: 1881-1884  
Polk County News/Standard Press: 1885; 1910-1980.  
Polk County Press: 1862-1906.  
   
 
Polk County Public Records

Polk County Census Records: Statewide unless specified: 1836; 1838; 1840; 1842; 1846; 1847; 1850; 1855; 1860; 1870; 1875; 1880; 1885; 1890 (Civil War veterans only); 1900; 1905; 1910; 1920 (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties only); 1930 (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties only)

Indexes: 1836; 1840; 1850; 1860; 1870; 1880 Soundex; 1900 Soundex; 1905 (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Washburn Counties only); 1910

  
 
 
 

Polk County Court Records: The majority of the Polk County court records held at the River Falls ARC are unprocessed. Please contact the Archivist for more information.

  
 
 

Polk County Local Government Records:

  Abstracts of lands entered. 1853-1896
Account ledgers. 1855-1930
Apportionment of state and county taxes and charges. 1889-1968
Annual directories of public officials. 1923; 1938; 1942; 1956; 1964-1965; 1967; 1969; 1973; 1987-1988
Assessment records. 1908-1918
Bounty record. 1884-1908
Coroner’s docket. 1931-1948
Council of Defense records. 1942-1943
County Board of Supervisors, printed proceedings. 1902; 1910; 1913; 1918-1925; 1927-1934; 1936-1938; 1940-1953; 1955-1956; 1958-1960; 1962; 1966; 1969-1970; 1976
County Board proceedings. 1874-1964
County Clerk’s records. 1855-1945
County Treasurer’s correspondence. 1924-1929
Election records. 1900-1930
Election return statements. 1863-1915
Extension Agent’s Polk County Fair premium books. 1926-1929; 1932-1935; 1956; 1958; 1962; 1964-1965; 1968-1970; 1981
Homestead and land entry records. 1865-1914
Income tax rolls and collection report. 1911-1933
Ledger of lands owned and sold by Polk County. 1894-1909
Listing of town and village officers. 1876-1918; 1938-1949
Maps and blueprints. No date
Misc. tax records. 1862-1884
Plat map (1938) and surveyor’s papers. 1938-1941
Poor farm records. 1876-1934 ACCESS RESTRICTED Contact archivist.
Poor relief case files. 1917-1961 ACCESS RESTRICTED. Contact archivist.
Probate case files. 1855-1941
Real estate sales reports. 1907-1909
Record of dentists (1885-1900), nurses (1928-1949) and physicians (1928-1955). 1885-1955
Records of state lands. 1859-1917
Reports on outdoor relief and pauperism. 1880-1920
Sheriff’s records. 1882-1928
Soldiers’ Relief Commission records. 1888-1914
State Treasurer’s reports to County Clerk. 1885-1894
Statements of taxes and indebtedness. 1879-1918
Supervisor of Assessments’ annual statistical report. 1911-1923; 1925-1937; 1939-1974
Tax rolls, Polk Series 4: 1859-1965.
Tax receipt books. 1862-1886
Tax sale records. 1857-1954
Treasurer’s records. 1860-1882
West Sweden, Town of. General record books. 1901-1967
West Sweden, Town of. Highway record books. 1874-1964
     
 
 
 

Polk County Naturalizations:
Declarations of intent: 1859-1952. Petitions: 1859-1954. Ancillary documents: 1859-1954
Indexes: ca. 1855-1954.
 
 
 

Polk County School Records:
Alden Township School District No.4: 1871-1897
Oaklawn School records, Farmington: 1859-1894
Riverside School records, Osceola: 1924-1925
 
 
 

Polk County Tax and Assessment Rolls:

  Alden: 1859-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Amery Village: 1891-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Apple River: 1877-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Balsam Lake: 1870-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1905-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Beaver: 1886-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Black Brook: 1886-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Bone Lake: 1889-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Centuria: 1904-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Clam Falls: 1877-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Clayton: 1876-1886; 1889-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1910-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Clear Lake: 1878-1900; 1902; 1904-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1894-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Dresser Junction: 1922-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Eureka: 1874-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Farmington: 1859-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Frederic: 1903-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Garfield: 1886-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Georgetown: 1879-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Johnstown: 1890-1916; 1918-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Laketown: 1875-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Lincoln: 1861-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Lorain: 1873-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Luck: (Township) 1870-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1905-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  McKinley: 1898-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Milltown: 1870-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1910-1916; 1919-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Osceola: 1857-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1887-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  St. Croix Falls: (Town)1858-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965.
(Village) 1888-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Sterling: 1858-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965
   
  Valley City: 1920-1921
   
 

West Sweden: 1876-1941; 1945; 1950; 1955; 1960; 1965

     
 
 
 

Polk County Vital Statistics:
Polk County birth certificates,1852-1907; death certificates, 1852-1907; marriage certificates, 1836-1907.
Indexes: Pre-1907, statewide.

The pre-1907 WI Vital Statistics Index for births, deaths, and marriages is searchable online through the Wisconsin Historical Society.


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