Polk County, Arkansas
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 32 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1976. Most listings are in or near Mena, Athens, Bogg Springs.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Arkansas is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Polk titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP26 of 32 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
32 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Bard Springs Bathhouse | Athens | 1993 |
| Bard Springs Dam No. 1 | Athens | 1993 |
| Bard Springs Dam No. 2 | Athens | 1993 |
| Bard Springs Picnic Shelter | Athens | 1993 |
| Bogg Springs Hotel | Bogg Springs | 1993 |
| Buckeye Vista Overlook | Athens | 2007 |
| Ebenezer Monument | Mena | 1992 |
| Elks Lodge | Mena | 1998 |
| Foster, C. E., House | Mena | 1993 |
| Heathcliff Cabin | Mena | 2021 |
| Janssen Park | Mena | 1979 |
| Mena Commercial Historic District | Mena | 2009 |
| Mena Kansas City-Southern Depot | Mena | 1991 |
| Mountain Fork Bridge | Mena | 1990 |
| National Guard Armory | Mena | 1991 |
| Old Post Office | Mena | 1991 |
| Old U.S. 71 Ouachita River Bridges | Acorn | 2025 |
| Polk County Courthouse | Mena | 1992 |
| Shady Lake Bathhouse | Athens | 1993 |
| Shady Lake CCC Bridge #1 | Athens | 2010 |
| Shady Lake CCC Bridge #2 | Athens | 2010 |
| Shady Lake Caretaker's House | Athens | 1993 |
| Shady Lake Dam | Athens | 1993 |
| Shady Lake Picnic Pavilion | Athens | 1993 |
| Shady Lake Recreation Area Historic District | Athens | 2015 |
| Shaver, James D., House (Additional Documentation) | Mena | 1979 |
| St. Agnes Catholic Church | Mena | 1991 |
| State Line Marker | Mena | 1976 |
| Studebaker Showroom | Mena | 2000 |
| Sugar Creek Vista Overlook | Athens | 2007 |
| Tall Peak Fire Tower | Athens | 1993 |
| Wickes School | Wickes | 2024 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBPolk was formed in 1844 (1844-11-30) from Sevier.
POLK created from SEVIER.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusPolk County population from 1850 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1850 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,263 | 4,262 | 5,857 | 18,352 | 16,412 | 15,832 | 14,182 | 11,981 | 17,007 | 20,229 | 19,221 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS48 cemeteries and 5 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 48 of 48 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Antioch Cemetery |
| Baker Cemetery |
| Board Camp Cemetery |
| Buffalo Cemetery |
| Cecil Cemetery |
| Cecil Chapel Cemetery |
| Center Cemetery |
| Cherry Hill Cemetery |
| Concord Cemetery |
| Corinth Cemetery |
| Crystal Hill Cemetery |
| Dallas Cemetery |
| Daniel Cemetery |
| Foote Cemetery |
| Foran Cemetery |
| Foster Cemetery |
| Gann Cemetery |
| Gann Cemetery |
| Grannis Cemetery |
| Heely Cemetery |
| Holly Grove Cemetery |
| Liberty Cemetery |
| Little Cemetery |
| Lone Valley Cemetery |
| Lower Big Fork Cemetery |
| McKinney Cemetery |
| Mineral Cemetery |
| Mount Calvary Cemetery |
| Mount Gillian Cemetery |
| Nunley Cemetery |
| Oak Grove Cemetery |
| Oak Grove Cemetery |
| Overturf Cemetery |
| Owens Cemetery |
| Pinecrest Cemetery |
| Pioneer Cemetery |
| Pleasant Grove Cemetery |
| Pleasant Hill Cemetery |
| Rocky Cemetery |
| Sexton Cemetery |
| Shady Cemetery |
| Sixmile Cemetery |
| Stinett Cemetery |
| Tate Cemetery |
| Westview Cemetery |
| Whole Council of God Cemetery |
| Witherspoon Cemetery |
| Yocana Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 5 of 5
| Name |
|---|
| Buffalo |
| Clayton Spur |
| Gann |
| Roff |
| Two Mile |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Polk County, Arkansas
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