Polk County, Nebraska
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 6 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1973. Most listings are in or near Osceola, Stromsburg, Silver Creek.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Nebraska is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Polk titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP4 of 6 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
6 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Clarks Site | Osceola | 1973 |
| Mickey, Gov. John Hopwood, House | Osceola | 1977 |
| Morrill, Charles H., Homestead | Stromsburg | 1973 |
| Polk County Courthouse | Osceola | 1990 |
| Strickland Site | Silver Creek | 1996 |
| Wilson, Victor E., House | Stromsburg | 1988 |
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 1856 (1856-01-26) from York.
POLK created by Nebraska Territory from YORK and non-county area.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusPolk County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 6,846 | 10,542 | 10,714 | 8,748 | 8,044 | 7,210 | 6,320 | 5,639 | 5,214 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS9 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 9 of 9 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Beulah Cemetery |
| Blue Ridge Cemetery |
| Graceland Cemetery |
| Hoffer Cemetery |
| Laclede Cemetery |
| Polk Cemetery |
| Stromsburg Cemetery |
| Union Cemetery |
| Wesley Chapel Cemetery |
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, Nebraska
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