WPA

Incomplete, unedited history of Polk County - Helen S. Wells. 

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Created in 1861 from portions of Brevard and Hillsboro Counties, Polk was named for James K. Polk, who became Chief Executive on the day after Florida was admitted to statehood.

Public lands granted under the "Armed Occupation and Homestead Act" drew early settlers to the rolling, late dotted terrain located equi-distant between the Atlantic and Pacific, now known as Polk County. Forts established during the Indian war where armed troops offered protection from scattered Indian outbreaks furnished cleared sites for pioneer homes. The opening by U.S. soldiers of wagon roads connecting Fort Clinch, Fort Carroll, Fort Capron and Fort Myers, permitted the trek of north Florida and Georgia settlers into south central and south west Florida. Oxcarts transported some families with household goods and domestic pets, as far south as Fort Myers, but the beauty and fertility of the Peas Creek country drew them back to settle in and about Fort Meade, Socrum (originally known as Soak Rum), Itchpuckassassa, and the present site of Bartow.

After the close of the indian war in 1842, settlement was very slow. In 1851 there were perhaps a dozen white families and one hundred Seminole Indians living in present Polk

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County, most of the Indians being camped on the banks of Cat Fish and Rosalie Lakes.

Numbered among those who settled at Itchpuckassassa was Mr. Jacob Summerlin, Polk County's most outstanding pioneer, who is listed in the Postmaster General's records as postmaster of the above town in 1849.* His residence there is also established by a letter written by him Oct. 2nd, 1850, to Gov. Thomas Brown. Mr. Summerlin pictured the hazards of living in this new country when he related facts concerning a boy stolen by the Indians from "Mr Sumner's family". In this letter he stated, "We are getting tired of waiting to see what the Government will do and shall be driven to the necessity of taking care of ourselves the best way we can, and if we meet with Indians, we shall surely have a fight, for the next time we shall have a larger party". Gov. Brown, in a letter to Secretary of War Conrad protesting the insufficient protection offered citizens in this section, enclosed Mr. Summerlin's letter, stating that facts were presented by "Gentlemen of the region......highly respected.....and their statements to be relied upon."

Mr. Summerlin was the first postmaster at Itchpuckassassa. The W.B. Varn family, prominent in the development of this county, was also among the group who settled at Itchpuckassassa. In a letter written May 18th, 1850, Mrs. Varn indicated that they had been living "about twenty miles from Tampa Bay" long enough to have raised an excellent crop, including "lettuce a foot across" and were enjoying "good society and trade". Another letter written by this same woman in 1859 was dated

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*Itchpuckasassa [sic] post office was later changed to Cork on March 5th 1860. Discontinued on Jan. 16, 1872, reestablished Apr. 8th 1872. Name changed to Plant City Mar. 19, 1884.

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at "Peas Creek, Fla." This post office was located at the original site of Bartow and the name was later changed to Bartow.

Another prominent Polk County family moved to this region in October 1851. Reading Blount brought with him a colony from Alligator, East Florida, and located about a mile west of where the court house now stands in Bartow. His four sons, viz., Riley W., wife and four children; Owen R., wife and two children; Nathan S., unmarried; Jehu J., a minor, Streaty Parker, his soninlaw [sic], wife and two children; John Davidson, wife and one child (later Mrs. Soloman page), constituted this colony of 20 white persons who brought with them about twelve negro slaves.

Other families who are believed to be numbered among the earliest settlers were Rigdon Brown and his son William who lived three miles northwest of Bartow and N. R. (Uncle Rabe) Raulerson, three and a half miles east; Zachariah Seward lived on Seward's Lake and Silas McClelland and a Mr. Hill lived near Medulla.

The location of other homes established prior to 1854 is shown on plats in the County Tax Assessor's office. These plats which include surveys made from 1842 to 1854 show the homes of the Durrances, Parkers, Greens, Carltons, Whittens Bogess', Underhills, and Laniers, all families prominent in Polk County history.

In 1855 the Seminole War broke out, bringing to Polk County

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many new forts and block houses. Among those established prior to and during this period, were: Fort Arbuckle, one mile northeast of Lake Arbuckle, established January 23, 1850; Fort Blount, one-third mile northwest of Bartow Court House, established 1853; Fort Carroll on the south central short of Lake Haskell, three miles north of Bartow, established January 22, 1841, by detachment of 8th Infantry at head of Peas Creek, under direction of Capt. T. P. Guynn and named by him in honor of Sergt. Major Francis Carroll 7th Infantry, who fell with Lieut. Walter Sherwood in the defense of Mrs. Montgomery near Waccahota (Alachua County), when a member of her escort, Dec. 18, 1840; Fort Clinch at the northwest corner of Lake Lachopopka, near Frost Proof, established Jan. 13, 1850; Fort Cummings on the west bank of Lake Aretta, established by Major D. L. Wilcox, 2nd Infantry. Fort Fraser, four miles northwest by north Bartow, named for Capt. Upton S. Fraser, 3rd Artillery, killed with Dade Dec. 28th, 1835, established 1837; Fort Gardiner, on the river that connects Lakes Kissimmee and Tohopekaliga; Fort Meade, on the west bank of Peas Creek, four miles north of the [mouth] of Bowlegs Creek; Fort Gibson, six miles northeast of Ft. Meade; Fort Kissimmee on the west bank of the Kissimmee river near the Park Highlands County line where the military road from Ft. Brooks to Ft. Capron crossed.

Block houses were strongholds against Indian depredations. They were occupied by various early settlers and

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located as shown below:

Durrance - - 9 miles N. Ft. Meade

Durrance - - 10 miles SSe Ft. Meade

Durrance - - 8 miles NNW Ft. Meade

Hughey - - 10 miles N. by W. Ft. Meade

Blount - - 12 miles NNW Ft. Meade

Skipper - - 13 miles N by E Ft. Meade

Whitton - - 5 miles W. Ft. Meade

Underhill - 7 miles NE Ft. Meade

Hendry - - 5 miles N. by W. Ft. Meade

Gibson - - 6 miles NNE Ft. Meade

McCullough - 5 miles SW Ft. Meade

Tillis - 2 miles SW Ft. Meade

Old muster rolls recorded in a volume of historical data list names of men who fought in Indian wars. First was Capt. Aaron Jernigan's Company, mustered into service on March 2nd, 1852; later Capt. F. M. Durrance organized a company, muster rolls being dated Dec. 25th, 1855.

Other state troops in exploring the country, selected fertile lands, where they quickly settled at the close of hostilities in 1858.

Settlement was again slowed with the opening of the Civil war in 1861. A militia company was organized under Capt. W. B.Varn and drilling began at Mud Lake. When called to the front this company was reinforced and reorganized under Capt. N. S. Blount. After being feted in Bartow, they departed on March 1862 for Gainesville, to be mustered in as Co. E. 7th Florida. J. W. Whidden was 1st Lt., Zachariah

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Seward, 2nd Lt., Henry Mansfield, 3rd Lt., Hamp Johnson, 1st Sgt. Others from this section were mustered into service at Tampa, among them being Mr. Thomas Hilliard who is still living at Frostproof.

Coming into existence on February 8, 1861, Polk County selected for its seat of government the settlement of Mud Lake, where muster drill of the militia were held. Although a site four miles south of Bartow on the Fort Meade road was chosen by vote, and a hewn log house was built by the land owners, Jas. Hamilton and Z. Seward for use as a [court] house, jealousy was said to have defeated arrangements, and Mud Lake won over this and another site, a tract of 160 acres, 2 1/4 miles south of the present court house. The name given to the latter site was Jefferson, which became, in 1862, the legal county seat.

Boundaries of the new county were described as follows:

Commencing at the point where the range line that divides range 22 and 23 strikes the line that divides townships 32 and 33; thence east along said line to where it strikes the Kissimmee river; thence up said river along the western banks to Lake Kissimmee; thence meandering the southern and western banks of said lake to Lake Cypress, and meandering said Lake Cypress to the township line dividing townships 27 and 28; thence west along said line to range line dividing ranges 28 and 29; thence a direct line to a point where the range line divides ranges 27 and 28 intersects the line dividing townships 25, and 26; thence west along said townships line to the point where the line dividing ranges 26, and 27 intersects the line to the lines dividing townships 24 and 2[?]; thence west to section line dividing 34 and 35, township 24, range 25; thence north on said range on line to the lines dividing sections 27 and 34 -- same townships and range; thence west to range line dividing ranges 24 and 25; thence south on said range lines to the line dividing townships 24 and 25; thence west to the line dividing ranged 23 and 24; thence south to the point where said line crosses the Withlacoochee river; thence meandering to the north bank of said river to the line dividing ranges 22 and 23 crosses the same; thence south along said range line to township line dividing township line

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dividing township 25 and 26; thence west along said line dividing townships 25 and 26 to section line dividing sections 3 and 4, in townships 26 range 22; thence south to said section line to sections 33 and 34, on township line dividing townships 27 and 26, range 22; thence east along said township line to range line dividing ranges 22 and 23; thence south to point of beginning. (Ch. 1201, S 2, Feb. 8, 1861).

The first officials, appointed in 1861 were:

James Gettis, Judge of Circuit Court

H. S. Seward, Legislature

J. J. Blount, Clerk of Circuit Court

H. L. Mitchell, State Solicitor

R. T. Kendrick, Sheriff.

(Ref. Minute Book A, Circuit Court, pp. 1-3)

L. W. Cornelius, Judge Probate (Ref. Minute Book B, probate court, p. 3)

[?]. A. Hendry, Redding Blount, Isaac Waters, and Joseph Mizelle were the four commissioners.

Sheriff Kendrick was ex-officio assessor and tax collector. He made and kept tax books if and when he saw fit. He recorded and turned over tax moneys when called upon by County Commissioners. Sheriff Kendrick was replaced by Wm. Durrance, and Circuit Clerk J. J. Blount by John Davison, who served until 1865. No assessed valuation was made during this period. Taxes prior to 1866 had never amounted to $1,000.00 per year, amounts [collected] being used to help destitute families of soldiers. Commissioners acted with committees formed in each district to provide for the poor. James B. Crum was elected wheelmaker to provide spinning wheels at a cost of $8.50 each, and soldiers' wives spun cloth to clothe their families and others.

No courts were held during the war, and no court house was built. Circuit Court was held for two years after the war by Judges Bush and Gettis in the hewn log Baptist Church 2 1/2 miles

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south of Bartow in a log store building 4 miles south of Bartow, and also in the Summerlin Institute, which was completed before the court house was begun.