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Size | 2.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 820 items) |
Abstract | George Washington Polk, civil engineer and genealogist of San Antonio, Tex., was the son of Lucius Junius Polk (1802-1870), planter of Maury County, Tenn., and Mary Ann Eastin Polk (1810-1847), who was Mrs. Andrew Jackson's niece, and nephew of Leonidas Polk (1806-1864), Episcopal bishop and Confederate general. The collection includes scattered 19th-century papers of members of the Polk and related families and extensive 20th-century papers about them. Early papers are chiefly of Lucius Junius Polk, Mary Eastin Polk, and Lucius's father, William Polk (1758-1834), who owned much land in North Carolina. Letters pertain to politics, planting, family matters, lands, and other business interests. Included are letters from Andrew Jackson and Leonidas Polk, and papers of General John Coffee (1772-1833) of Alabama and other members of the related Coffee, Donelson, and Eastin families of Tennessee. Postbellum papers are chiefly of William Harrison Polk (fl. 1875) of Paris, Ky., and George Washington Polk. The majority of these later papers relate to George's genealogical and historical interests. Also included are George's reminiscences of his childhood during the Civil War, education at schools in Tennessee and at the University of Virginia in the late 1860s, and experiences in Texas and the West as a civil engineer working primarily on the westward expansion of railroads. |
Creator | Polk, George Washington, b. 1847. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: SHC Staff, 1953; and Roslyn Holdzkom, June 1991
Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008
This collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
This inventory incorporates information from an inventory written in 1953 by SHC staff.
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
George Washington Polk (born 1847) was the son of Lucius Junius Polk (1802-1870), planter of Maury County, Tennessee, and Mary Ann Estin Polk (1810-1847), niece of Mrs. Andrew Jackson. He was also the nephew of Episcopal Bishop and Civil War General Leonidas Polk (1806-1864).
George Washington Polk was educated in Tennessee schools and attended the University of Virginia from 1867 to 1868, where he studied engineering. He worked as a civil engineer, chiefly involved in the westward expansion of railroads. He eventually settled in San Antonio, Texas
Polk was married on 29 October 1885 to Jane Jackson, daughter of George Moore and Sarah Cabell Perkins Jackson of Florence, Alabama, and descendant of James Moore, governor of South Carolina, 1700-1703. The Polks had three children, all of whom were born while the couple lived in Houston, Texas: George Washington Junior (born 1889); Jane Jackson (born 1893); married George Gill Ball); and Harrison Jackson (born 1896).
In his later years, Polk generated a tremendous correspondence with members of the Polk and related families about family history.
Back to TopScattered 19th century papers of members of the Polk and related families and extensive 20th century papers about them. Early papers are chiefly of Lucius Junius Polk, Mary Estin Polk, and Lucius's father William Polk (1758-1834), who owned much land in North Carolina. Letters pertain to politics, planting, family matters, lands, and other business interests. Included are letters from Andrew Jackson and Leonidas Polk, and papers of General John Coffee (1772-1833) of Alabama and other members of the related Coffee, Donelson, and Estin families of Tennessee. Postbellum papers are chiefly of William Harrison Polk (fl. 1875) of Paris, Ky., and George Washington Polk. The majority of these latter papers relate to George's genealogical and historical interests. Also included are George's reminiscences of his childhood during the Civil War, education at schools in Tennessee and at the University of Virginia in the late 1860s, and experiences in Texas and the West as a civil engineer working primarily on the westward expansion of railroads.
Back to TopChiefly family correspondence and other items, including the following items (description taken from inventory of 1953): a typed copy, 1793, of a Tennessee land grant to Thomas Polk, for service a colonel on the Continental line in the American Revolution; letter, 10 November 1800, from Thomas Jackson to Colonel William Polk in regard to claims for western lands; bills, 1802-1803, of William Polk in Raleigh, N.C.; a deed, 1809, to George Doherty for 300 acres in Maury County, Tenn. (N.C., western lands) signed by John Sevier; letter, 2 August 1811; from William Eastin of Nashville to Captain John Coffee, Jefferson, about returning Coffee's horse; a bill, 8 August 1812, from Thomas Eastin to John Coffee for two quires of blanks for the Examinor; typed copy of a letter, 21 October 1812, from William Polk to his wife Sarah in Raleigh telling her about his trip and the wedding of Tom (Polk?) and Mary in Salisbury; letter, 14 January 1813, from William Eastin to Mrs. Coffee about supplies of hogs, salt, and other business; William Eastin's bill, 1814, to General John Coffee for supplies; letter, 17 October 1814, from William Polk to Governor William Hawkins, stating his attitude toward the proposed peace with Britain and offering his services to his country; bills and receipts, 1815, of William Eastin; and an agreement, 1816, involving William P. Anderson, John Coffee, Will Polk, and others in connection with the land granted to George Doherty.
Note that there are a few typed transcriptions of letters and other items scattered throughout this series.
Folder 1 |
1793-1818 |
Folder 2 |
1820-1825 |
Folder 3 |
1826-1831 |
Folder 4 |
1832-1834 |
Folder 5 |
1835-1838 |
Folder 6 |
1839-1841 |
Folder 7 |
1842-1843 |
Folder 8 |
1844-1857 |
Chiefly family correspondence and other items, including the following items (description taken from inventory of 1953):
Note that there are a few typed transcriptions of letters and other items scattered throughout this series.
Folder 9 |
1866-1874 |
Folder 9a |
1875-1897 |
Folder 9b |
Undated (probably before 1900) |
Letters relating to genealogy and family history to and from George Washington Polk in San Antonio, Texas.
Folder 10 |
1900-1907 |
Folder 11-12
Folder 11Folder 12 |
1908 |
Folder 13 |
1909-1911 |
Folder 14-15
Folder 14Folder 15 |
1912 |
Folder 16 |
1913-1914 |
Folder 17 |
1915 |
Folder 18-21
Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21 |
1916 |
Folder 22 |
1917-1919 |
Folder 23-24
Folder 23Folder 24 |
1920 |
Folder 25-28
Folder 25Folder 26Folder 27Folder 28 |
1921 |
Folder 29-34
Folder 29Folder 30Folder 31Folder 32Folder 33Folder 34 |
1922 |
Folder 35-36
Folder 35Folder 36 |
1923 |
Folder 37 |
1924 |
Folder 38 |
Undated |
Folder 39 |
Fragments |
Reminiscences, historical articles, notes, genealogical charts, and other documents about the Polk and other families.
Folder 40 |
George Washington Polk reminiscences |
Folder 41 |
George Washington Polk Junior, materials |
Folder 42 |
Coffee, Jones, McNeal, Perkins, Shelby, Pratt |
Folder 43 |
Donelson |
Folder 44 |
Eastin |
Folder 45 |
Hardeman and Polk |
Folder 46 |
Hawkins |
Folder 47 |
Jackson |
Folder 48-52
Folder 48Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51Folder 52 |
Polk |
Folder 53 |
Pollack |
Folder 54 |
Purnell |
Folder 55-64
Folder 55Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64 |
Miscellaneous notes and other materials |
Folder 65-67
Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67 |
Volumes: scrapbooks and family records |