Skip to content

Polk County Historical Society

Museum & Genealogical Research Library, est. 1974

Menu
  • Home
  • Museum
    • About Us
    • Membership & Dues
    • School/Group Tours
    • Social Media
    • Shop
    • Special Exhibits
  • Genealogical Research Library
    • Book Donations
    • General Info & Queries
    • Hawkes Building
    • Research Services
  • Events
    • Book Club
    • Cemetery Tours
    • Classes & Workshops
    • Member Meetings
    • Thursday Club Game Night
    • Visiting Other Museums
  • Blog Articles
  • Contact
  • Donate

Music History: Ida Cox

February 6, 2020
| No Comments
| 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, People

  Ida Cox, nee Prather, was a Cedartown-raised vaudeville performer who, along with Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, founded the female blues genre. Born in 1888, Ida left home at an early age to pursue her singing career. “Wild women Don’t Have the Blues” is her most popular and covered tune, yet in the 1920’s […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1890s/" rel="category tag">1890s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1900s/" rel="category tag">1900s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1910s/" rel="category tag">1910s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1920s/" rel="category tag">1920s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1930s/" rel="category tag">1930s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>

Some Personalities in Polk County

November 1, 2019
| No Comments
| People

Joseph A. Blanche, Lawyer, Cedartown. Son of Joseph G. and Mary Williams Blanche. He was born at Savannah, Georgia June 30, 1838. Attended school Emory at Oxford until 1857, then studied law and was a partner of Col. James D. Waddell in law at Cedartown. Silas I Cox, Farmer. Son of Zachariah and Grizzy Cox. […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>

History of Cedartown and Polk County’s Newspapers

October 21, 2019
| No Comments
| Newspapers

Cedartown and Polk County’s first newspaper was the Record, established in 1869 by W.S.D. Wikle, who acted as editor and publisher for a number of years. A few years later, Thomas Gibson established the Express and published it until he entered the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church to become a presiding elder. The […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/newspapers/" rel="category tag">Newspapers</a>

Street Names of Cedartown

October 21, 2019
| No Comments
| People, Streets

This is a document dated 1937 and was donated to the Historical Society by Georgia Wyatt in July of 1991. Much of the history of Cedartown might be traced through the names of its various streets. The facts stated below are based on information, by no means complete, and possibly erroneous, and suggestions, corrections or […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/streets/" rel="category tag">Streets</a>

Brigadier General Kendall J. Fielder

August 4, 2019
| No Comments
| Military, People

“Brigadier General Kendall “Wooch” Jordan Fielder (August 1, 1893 – April 13, 1981) was an influential World War II veteran, who settled in Hawaii, and testified before Congress in favor of statehood. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, then Lieutenant Colonel Fielder was the U.S. Army G-2 Chief of Intelligence and Security, […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/military/" rel="category tag">Military</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>

Georgia Twins are Born by Caesarean Operation

July 5, 2019
| No Comments
| 1900s, Newspaper Articles, People, Virtual Tour

Mrs. C. H. Wray and Children of Cedartown, GA What was probably the first Caesarean operation, bringing twins into the world, in the history of surgery, was performed in Atlanta on January 6, 1909, by Dr. W. B. Lingo, at the Hospital Medical college. This fact was brought out yesterday as the result of a […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1900s/" rel="category tag">1900s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/newspaper-articles/" rel="category tag">Newspaper Articles</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/virtual-tour/" rel="category tag">Virtual Tour</a>

Henry Witcher, Cedartown’s Wooden Toy Artist

May 31, 2019
| No Comments
| 1900s, People, Virtual Tour

Rome-News Tribune, 1983 “Like many other good men, Henry Witcher first got his motivation from a woman and a rolling pin. Just not in the customary manner so often associated with women and rolling pins. Only the product of that motivation–a woodcraft that perhaps could be described as “whittling and piddling”–could be any less customary…unless […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/1900s/" rel="category tag">1900s</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/virtual-tour/" rel="category tag">Virtual Tour</a>

Dr. Seals L. Whitely

April 30, 2019
| No Comments
| People, Virtual Tour

Dr. Whitely was born in Rome, GA, in 1880, the son of Charles Hiram Whitely and Mary Joseph Downer Whitely. When he was six years old, he and his family moved to Cedartown. He received a masters degree in pharmacy in 1904. Two years later, he graduated from Tulane University Medical School. In 1912, he […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/virtual-tour/" rel="category tag">Virtual Tour</a>

My Humble But Beautiful Home

March 9, 2019
| No Comments
| Newspaper Articles, Poetry

Found in the Cedartown Advertiser: December 11, 1879 Oh give me when day is declining, And sunshine is flooding the west, My ivy-clad mound, where reclining, I can watch the birds seeking their rest, And list to their twitter of sorrow Whilst through the dew-breezes they roam To nestle and dream of to-morrow, In my […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/newspaper-articles/" rel="category tag">Newspaper Articles</a>, <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/poetry/" rel="category tag">Poetry</a>

Women’s History Month: Gerry Edmonds Holmes

March 9, 2019
| No Comments
| Uncategorized

Geraldine (Gerry) Edmonds Holmes (September 14, 1947 – April 9, 2003) is buried in Greenwood cemetery with an inscription of “Loving Mother and Wife” as well as “First Female District Attorney.” She has been added to our Cemetery Tour as a notable person. Below is a timeline of her accomplishments according to her obituary: 1947: […]

Read More »

Posted in <a href="https://polkhist.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a>

Posts navigation

Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 Next

Download 2023 Membership Form
Or, fill out the form on this page and we will mail one directly to you!

Hours of Operation

Museum @ 117 West Ave.

Thurs – Saturday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

770-748-4828

Research Library @ 205 S. College St.

Wednesday – Friday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM & By Appointment

770-749-0073 or 770-546-3157

Museum Admission

MEMBERS: free

KIDS 12 & under: free

NON-MEMBERS: $3.00

Research Library: Free for independent research. Our volunteers will research for you at the rate of $20 for 2 hours.

Polk County Historical Society e-gift cards can be used on admission, membership, research fees, gift shop merchandise, fundraisers, and events.
Purchase Now

Georgia Association of Museums & Galleries Member
We are a part of the West Georgia Textile Heritage Trail
Supporters of the Downtown Cedartown Association

© Polk County Historical Society 2023. Powered by WordPress