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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Polk (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Polk. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Polk is located in Kay County.

To see how the shape of Oklahoma's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Kay County: Cowley (KS), Garfield, Grant, Noble & Osage.

Below are the counties that are near Polk. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Polk:

  • Kay County     (The home county of Polk)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.
    • Tonkawa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Nardin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nardin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nardin
      • Nardin is located in Kay County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nardin <1>
    • Blackwell
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackwell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackwell
      • Blackwell is located in Kay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,526 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blackwell <1>
    • White Eagle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Eagle
      • White Eagle is located in Kay County
    • Ponca City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Cross ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cross. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross
      • Cross is located in Kay County
    • Braman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Braman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braman
      • Braman is located in Kay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Braman <1>
    • Kildare
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kildare have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kildare
      • Kildare is located in Kay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
    • Newkirk
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newkirk have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newkirk
      • Newkirk is located in Kay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,162 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newkirk <1>
  • Garfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.
    • Hunter
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hunter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunter
      • Hunter is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hunter <1>
    • Garber
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garber have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garber
      • Garber is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 804 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garber <1>
    • Breckenridge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breckenridge
      • Breckenridge is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 245 people
    • Kremlin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kremlin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kremlin
      • Kremlin is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kremlin <1>
    • Covington
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covington
      • Covington is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Covington <1>
    • Fairmont
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairmont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
      • Fairmont is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 131 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairmont <1>
    • Hayward
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayward
      • Hayward is located in Garfield County
    • North Enid
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Enid have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Enid
      • North Enid is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 917 people
    • Douglas
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Douglas have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglas
      • Douglas is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 32 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Douglas <1>
    • Enid
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enid
      • Enid is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49,542 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Enid <1>
    • Hillsdale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsdale
      • Hillsdale is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 119 people
      • Former name for Hillsdale:
      • Coldwater
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hillsdale <1>
  • Grant County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.
    • Salt Fork
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salt Fork
      • Salt Fork is located in Grant County
    • Lamont
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Deer Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek
      • Deer Creek is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer Creek <1>
    • Pond Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Medford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jefferson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jefferson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson
      • Jefferson is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8 people
    • Renfrow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renfrow
      • Renfrow is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12 people
  • Noble County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.
    • Billings
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Billings have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Billings
      • Billings is located in Noble County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 495 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Billings <1>
    • Marland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marland
      • Marland is located in Noble County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marland <1>
    • Red Rock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Rock
      • Red Rock is located in Noble County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 285 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Red Rock <1>
    • Lucien
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Perry
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Petes Corner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petes Corner
      • Petes Corner is located in Noble County
  • Osage County
    • McCord
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McCord have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCord
      • McCord is located in Osage County
  • Sumner County (KS)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.
    • Hunnewell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hunnewell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunnewell
      • Hunnewell is located in Sumner County (KS)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 59 people
    • Caldwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • South Haven
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Polk, see our County-by-County Page for Polk.

Newspapers Published in Polk ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 65 newspapers that have been published in the area around Polk.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Polk, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Polk.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Polk:

Cemeteries Near Polk ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Polk.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Polk covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.

  • Riverview Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverview Cemetery
  • Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
  • Heitholt Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Billings Union Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Billings Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Billings Union Cemetery
  • Prairie View Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie View Cemetery
  • New Hope Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Hope Cemetery
  • Floral Ridge Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Floral Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Floral Ridge Cemetery
  • Tonkawa IOOF Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tonkawa IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tonkawa IOOF Cemetery
  • Lamont Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lamont Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lamont Cemetery
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
  • Tonkawa Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tonkawa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tonkawa Cemetery
  • Continue List   (90 more) ...
    • White Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Mt. Olive Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olive Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olive Cemetery
    • Bayard Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bayard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bayard Cemetery

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

While we didn't find Polk in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Polk.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Polk, with the one closest to Polk listed first.

  • Lamont
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Tonkawa
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Garber
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garber have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garber
    • Garber is located in Garfield County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 804 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garber <1>
  • Blackwell
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackwell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackwell
    • Blackwell is located in Kay County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,526 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blackwell <1>
  • Red Rock
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Rock
    • Red Rock is located in Noble County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 285 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Red Rock <1>
  • Pond Creek
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  • Medford
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Jefferson
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jefferson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jefferson
    • Jefferson is located in Grant County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 8 people
  • Kremlin
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kremlin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kremlin
    • Kremlin is located in Garfield County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kremlin <1>
  • Ponca City
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Black Bear
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Black Bear have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Bear
    • Black Bear is located in Noble County
  • Cross ‑ Historic
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cross. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross
    • Cross is located in Kay County
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...
    • Perry
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Renfrow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renfrow
      • Renfrow is located in Grant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12 people
    • North Enid
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Enid have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Enid
      • North Enid is located in Garfield County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 917 people

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Polk. See our List of 1890's Communities around Polk.

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Polk. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Oklahoma: https://www.ok.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Polk) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Polk. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.6084, Longitude: -97.4542       In this case, the coordinates for Polk have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Polk, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024