William Harrison Polk papers, 1780-1920, ca. 1818-1920 (bulk dates)

Descriptive Summary

Title
William Harrison Polk papers, 1780-1920, ca. 1818-1920 (bulk dates)
Creator
Polk, William Harrison, b. 1843.
Extent
7 cubic ft.
Subjects
Ballard family.
Morgan, John Hunt, 1825-1864.
Nation, Carry Amelia, 1846-1911.
Polk, William Harrison, b. 1843.
Polk family.
Thruston, R. C. Ballard (Rogers Clark Ballard), 1858-1946.
Genealogists.
Kentucky--Genealogy.
Clippings.
Notes
Arrangement
Arranged by subject or type of material, then sometimes chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Processed by: Archives Staff ; machine-readable finding aid created by:Eric Weig
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Genealogist, author, newspaperman. Polk was born in central Kentucky in 1843, was raised in Indiana, and returned to Kentucky after serving with the Union Army during the Civil War. He was appointed clerk and then postmaster of the post office in Paris, Ky, resigned, and moved to Texas, where he became city editor of the SHERMAN DAILY REGISTER. He returned to Kentucky to take a position as editor of the (Lexington) DAILY TRANSCRIPT, and later served on the staffs of and/or owned various other Lexington newspapers. He retired in 1908 to devote his time to historic and genealogical research, which culminated in the publication of POLK FAMILY AND KINSMEN, which was published in 1912.
Scope and Content
This is a collection of papers gathered by William Harrison Polk in the course of his research on his family. There are letters from R.C. Ballard Thruston, of Louisville, Ky, dating from about 1874 to 1914 and concerning the Polk and Ballard families; correspondence on the case of Early v. Blue Lick Springs Company, dating from 1867 to 1908; and numerous newspaper clippings and notes on historical events in Kentucky and on such personalities as John Hunt Morgan and Carry Nation.

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.