posted November 23, 2009
This month Polk County will be celebrating an exciting milestone: the
170th Anniversary of the creation of Polk County. On November 28, 1839 the Tennessee General Assembly established Polk County as the
72nd county of the great state of Tennessee. Our county was named
after then governor James K. Polk, who went on to become the eleventh
President of the United States and the only president to be interred
on State Capitol grounds.
Our land was taken mainly from Bradley County, along with a strip just north of the Hiwassee River in McMinn County. The county seat, Benton, was named after Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri who, at the time, was a close friend of Polk.
Over the past 170 years, our county has built a rich history and
tradition with deep-rooted values, even hosting the whitewater slalom
events in the 1996 Olympic Games. From the beautiful Ocoee River to
Big Frog Mountain and the Cherokee National Forest, Polk County has
some of the most stunning landscapes in the state of Tennessee.
I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve the fine citizens of Polk County in the same state legislature that, 170 years ago, created our home. I want to thank each and every one of you for contributing to our vibrant community. Here’s to another 170 years.
Representative Eric Watson
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