Polk County, Tennessee

 

Founding: 1839
Parent counties: Bradley and McMinn

Namesake: James Polk, U.S. president
Seat: Benton (1840–)

Land area: 435 square miles

Population (2020): 17,544

Population (historic): 3,570 (1840); 8,726 (1860); 7,269 (1880); 11,357 (1900); 15,686 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1840–1860; 1880–1930; 1970–2020

Subdivisions: Two cities; one town

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 612 (7%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 22.4%
Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 1.8%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 35.8%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 24.3%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $415
Average outbuilding value (1930): $260
Average farmhouse size (1940): 4.1 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 951
Average farm size (1920): 39.6 acres
_________________________________________________________________________________

Benton

Namesake: Thomas Benton, Missouri senator

Founding: 1840 (platting); 1845 (post office); 1915 (incorporation)

Population (2020): 1,523

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 27 (3.7%)
_________________________________________________________________________________

View and filter the data. Or see a map.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Outstanding Buildings

1. Higdon Hotel (c. 1890). Childer's Creek Road, east of Tellico–Reliance Road. Eastlake.
2. Warren Copeland Farm (1869). 532 Cookson Creek Road. Italianate.
3. Vaughn House (c. 1888). State Route 30, northwest of Tellico–Reliance Road. Eastlake.

_________________________________________________________________________________