A Succession of Polks

I'm sure everyone thinks they have an interesting family tree, but some, of course, are a little more interesting than others.

One of the perks regarding writing about history is I get to dig around the roots of various family trees. Through the process I have determined everyone's tree has extreme high points to brag about as well as that skeleton folks like to talk about in hushed tones. Everyone has a branch of the tree that ends in a strange little cul-de-sac that leaves you scratching your head, and sometimes you find situations that at first creates visions of three-eyed children with horns coming out of their heads, even the family trees of very important people, even important people like U.S. Presidents.

The particular tree I'm speaking of belongs to our 11th U.S. President–James Knox Polk–a tree that has a branch that reaches all the way to .

The stories are facinating regarding the Polk family, but some of the connections are a bit suspect at first, and just like many families folks tend to use the same names for their children from generation to generation. At one point this afternoon I had to create a crude family tree on paper just to keep the story straight, and so I knew I was talking about the right person.

First of all it would appear the first Polk arrived on the eastern shore of Maryland sometime in the mid-1600s, and had a son named William who was born about 1700. He ended up in Pennsylvania and married Margaret (Taylor) Polk. They had eight children–William, Deborah, Thomas, Charles, Susan, Margaret, John and Ezekiel. About the time Ezekiel was seven years old the family decided to move south close to where Charlotte, North Carolina is today in Mecklenburg County.

The Polk family is considered to be among the first pioneer settlers of the area. All of the Polk boys were a success. Thomas accumulated vast land holdings through speculation including lands in Tennessee and set himself apart by serving in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. There are documented stories–including mine located here–he was in charge of the group of soldiers who helped to move everything of value out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania including the Liberty Bell as the British prepared to occupy the town.

Ezekiel is remembered for taking part in the Snow Campaign from November to December, 1775 when North Carolina Patriots flushed Tories out of the area. Then men marched in terrible conditions including two feet of snow. Ezekiel also caused a stir when it became apparent the British were going to be in control of Charlotte he went to the British and asked for protection. This action seems strange today, but it should be in no way construed that Ezekiel had Tory views. He wasn't alone in asking the British to spare his property.

Ezekiel was also the subject of neighborhood gossip because he didn't share the Presbyterian views his other family members held. Ezekiel followed the philosophy of Deism, a religious belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. Many men during the time period followed Deism including Thomas Jefferson. Ezekiel and his family eventually moved to Tennessee. Ezekiel's great-grandson would become our 11th President, James K. Polk. 

Thomas and Ezekiel's brother, Charles Polk, is also remembered for his service during the American Revolution by serving in various regiments including the Company of Lighthorse where he served as the Captain. 

Charles Polk had a son named Charles and Charles, Jr. had a son named Ezekiel, and it's through this particular Ezekiel the family reaches Georgia.

Are you beginning to see why my research got a little confusing regarding the Polk family names?

In 1834, Ezekiel formed a caravan with several family members to travel to land just opened up for settlement in northwest Georgia due to the .  Traveling with Ezekiel was his wife, Melissa Jane “Jenny” (Weddington) Polk, his wife’s brother, Alexander Green Weddington and Weddington’s wife, Hannah (Polk) Weddington.  

Did you notice? Ezekiel’s wife’s maiden name was Weddington and Alexander’s wife’s maiden name was Polk. Hmmm……

Yes, brother and sister married brother and sister. That’s a vine of kudzu climbing up that family tree if I ever saw one. Also traveling to Georgia was Ezekiel’s mother, Eleanor, and his mother-in-law, Mary “Polly” (McLarty) Weddington as well as Ezekiel’s brother Charles Shelby Polk and his wife Catherine (McLarty) Polk.

The group ended up in the Dark Corner area of what would one day become Douglas County. If you wanted to locate the Dark Corner area today you would find it along Cedar Mountain Road between Douglasville and Winston. Fannie Mae Davis advises in her history of Douglas County, “The Indians judged the red soil as more valuable because the larger trees grew there than on the white land. In certain sections the soil division goes directly from dark to light as if a line was drawn.” A.E. Schole’s “Georgia State Gazetteer” confirms the name was due to the color of the soil, but there are also other theories.  I advised other historical sources discuss a Cherokee leader known simply as The Dark. His claim to fame included developing the first toll road into Cherokee lands. I wrote about Dark Corner during the Civil War when close to 40,000 Confederates moved through Dark Corner between September 30 and October 1, 1864 on their way to Allatoona and on to Tennessee.

Prior to the Civil War Ezekiel Polk was one of the richest landowners in the area, and with nine children he ensured his name would live on. Many of the families his children married into are recognizable today–Carnes, Winn, and McKelvey, among others.

Ezekiel Polk ended up accumulating 3,000 acres, a sizeable fortune and a number of slaves. Fannie Mae Davis recounted, "the son of one of his former slaves, Jack Polk, recalls that much of the west side of [Douglas County], spilling over into Carroll County by the Civil War, was owned by Ezekiel Polk. On Emancipation Day Ezekiel called his slaves together and informed them they were free to go or stay. If they stayed they would be paid for their work.”

Ezekiel Polk donated the land where Ephesus Baptist Church now stands. Fannie Mae Davis advises in her history of Douglas County, “The original intent of the donation was to set aside a place for people to worship, a separate school area for education, and lastly a place for burial.”

That being said Ezekiel’s resting place was not at Ephesus but at Douglasville’s City Cemetery. His marker can be seen here.

The Weekly Star for January 12, 1884 stated, “On Tuesday, January 5^th Uncle Ezekiel Polk, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of Douglas County, was killed by falling or being thrown from his horse. He had been in Douglasville all that day attending to business, and left town in time to get home, seven miles out of Douglasville, by sundown…

…He was found about one hundred yards from the house lying on his face with his arm broken. All of his ribs on his right side (were) broken loose from his backbone and three panels of fence torn down where his horse had drug him against the fence…

He died at 2 o’clock that night….In his death Douglas County lost one of her most prosperous, wealthiest and most useful citizens…He was one of the oldest citizens of the county….and died loved by all who knew him. His life was without spot and without blemish, and he left a heritage to his children in that he far excels his worldly possessions although he was called wealthy. Of his old associates there were few left and when they are all gone, the county has lost the best men who ever lived on our soil…

The Polk family piqued my interest initially because in her book Fanny Mae Davis mentioned a place a couple of times called Weddington Grove. Naturally, as I researched through the details of the Weddington family I hit upon the Polk family line. I’m still wondering if Weddington Grove was a family home, and if it still stands today.  If anyone has additional details I would love to hear from you by comments here or you can email me directly at historyiselementary@gmail.com.  

Regarding my own family–I have some rather quirky and alarming details regarding my mother's family. How many people can claim their grandfather’s wife was also his aunt or that their mother’s father was also her grand-uncle?   What if your grandmother’s father-in-law was also her brother-in-law or your great-grandfather was also your great grand uncle?

Yes, it sounds a little scary. My family is tied up with its own kudzu vine, but I have a nice explanation published here.