History of the Immediate Family of
William Polson / William Polston / William G. Polson and Elizabeth Ferguson.
1800-1896 |
by Gary Polson
Stillwater OK
Last Update 14 July 2003
This site is devoted to publishing information about the immediate family of William Polson and Elizabeth Ferguson.
William Polson spelled his name, William Polston till he was middle aged. He even shows up a few times as a young
man in Tennesssee as William Poulson. If you have any information, documents or photos about William G Polson and Elizabeth Ferguson, their parents or their children to share with us, please send them to
polsong@virtualpet.com. At this time, we are only covering
their immediate descendants, not the extended family.
Current Projects:
- A giant genealogy chart for the 5 founding families of the Farmington Ebenezer
Methodist Church in Farmington, Arkansas. In 1833, five families, including the William and Elizabeth Polson family founded
this church. These families are strongly inter-related and several lines have a long heritage beginning in Virginina
in the early 1700's. Putting these families together has led to a greater understanding of my family and to discovering
the history of Elizabeth Ferguson, wife of William G. Polson.
- A similiar chart for several other families tied to the Polson line. These charts
have really provide a new insight into the community of Northwest Arkansas by showing how so many
families came there and their ties to one another.
- Preparing to scan in a lot of photos. Have already scanned in a few cemetery photos
to genealogy page. Currently in process of ordering some new photo sleeves
to hold the photos. Will scan the photos when I move them to their new home. Also found several interesting
items in recent visits to Tulsa Genealogical Society Library and the Tulsa City County Public Genealogical
Library. Am in process of sortiing out and following up on them.
- Still trying to find William G. Polson's ancestors. Currently looking at Lucia Davis and William Polson
(both part Cherkokee) married 8 Oct 1803 in Garrard County Kentucky as his possible parents. Lucia Davis
also used the names Patsy Davis and Lucy Davis. Her husband William sometimes shows up as William Polton /
William Poulson. His father was Issac Poulton / Issac Polton. William and Lucia had a daughter Sarah Polson
that married Samuel Rorex. Lucia and Sarah are both burried in Rorex Cemetery, Jackson Country Alabama.
I have created a page on Genealogy of Isaac Poulton and Ann Green Family as I continue
to check out this lead.
- Logging last summer's visit to the Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma and the library and Indian Archives at the Oklahoma Historical Society. I found many interersting items there.
Brief Family Overview
The Parents
William G. (Greer?) Polson. was born about 1803 in Kentucky. He married Elizabeth Feguson (b. 18 Sept. 1808 in Tennessee) and they raised a family of six boys and three girls. They started their family in Lincoln County Tennessee and raised most of their children in Washington Country Arkansas. William G. died about 1851 Washington County AR. Eliazabeth died 17 January 1896 and is in buried Prairie Grove Cemetery, Prairie Grove AR. Many of their descendants settled in Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma / Indian Territory. Several married Cherokees in the area.
Their children were:
William Davis Polson, b. 3 Dec. 1830 Lincoln County TN.
John W. Polson, b. 19 Feb. 1833 Lincoln County TN.
Willis F. Polson, b. 1835 TN/AR.
Jasper A. Polson, b. 31 Dec. 1839.
Mary Ann Polson, b. 5 Feb 1841 AR.
Eliza Polson, b. 1842 AR.
Jane Polson, b. 1844 AR.
James N. Polson, b. 10 Aug 1845 AR
Charles "Henry" Polson, b. 1848 AR.
Cemeteries
Many members of the Polson family are buried in the cemeteries below.
- Polson Cemetery, Southwest City MO
- Prairie Grove Cemetery, Prairie Grove AR
- Farmington Cemetery, Farmington AR
- Welch Cemetery, Welch OK
Some Very Common First and Middle Names in the Family (and in the allied families)
- William
- Henry
- Flora
- Norwood
- Phoebe
- Willis
- Moores
Some Allied Families they lived near and/or often cross married among each other
- Norwood
- Stevenson
- Hardy
- Moores
- Givens
- Davis?
Contributors
A big thanks to my many contributors including Nancy Brown, Dorothy David, Gary Boyd,
References
Below are references to some of the more general and colorful records of this family
- Cemetery stones Polson-Ridge-Watie Cemetery, Southwest City MO
- Cemetery stones Prairie Grove Cemetery, Prairie Grove R
- Heritage of the Hills a Deleware County History has a section on the Polson Family.
- Goodspeed's History of McDonald and Newton County Missouri. 1888. (James N. Polson family)
- County clerk record of marriage, William Davis Polson and Flora C. Ridge. 1 October 1836.
- Cherokee Cavaliers by By Edward Everett Dale and Gaston Litton. University of Oklahoma Press. 1969. A collection of about 200 letters between the Ridge-Watie -Boudinot families. (Some mention William Davis Polson).
- For the Cause brief history of Cherokees in the Civil War
- The Cherokee Advocate (Cherokee Newspaper):
- September 2, 1876 pg.3 col.1: death of Flora C. Polson (wife of William Davis Polson)
- September 9, 1876 pg.3. col.1: obituary of Flora C. Polson
- Estate of W.D. Polson Deceased, List of Propery Sold and Dispensation of Estate February 8, 1895.
- 1860 Slave Federal Census Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (File 1 of 6) indicates W.D. Polson had six black slaves at this time. They were a 35 year old female and males of
5, 9, 10, 16, 17 years of age.
- Records of Marks and Brands, Washington Country Arkansas (country records). Elizabeth Polson ear mark registration sheet. August 1856.
- 1830 Lincoln Co. tax rolls showing William Polston and several possible brothers
- Land Records
- The Cherokee Tobacco U.S. Supreme Court Case 78 U.S. 616 (Wall.) December Term, 1870. Stand Watie tobacco tax case.
- Our People and Where They Rest. Vol. 9. 1976. pgs. 43-46b. By James W. Tyner, Maxine H. Tyner and Alice Tyner Timmons. Hoffman Printing Co. Inc., Polson Cemetery Southwest City Missouri grave map.
- Cemeteries of Washington County Arkansas Vol. 2. Autumn. 1980. pgs 1-51. Published by Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society. Prairie Grove (Arkansas) Cemetery grave map.
- Cherokee Nation Rolls.
- History of the Cherokee Indians and Their Legends and Folk Lore by Emmet Starr.
- Emmet Starr's original notecards at Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City OK.
- "Old Cherokee Families - The Notes of Dr. Emmet Starr; Volumes I and II, Edited and annotated by Jack D. Baker and
David Keith Hampton. Baker Publishing Company, Oklahoma City 1988. Frequently has references to extensive notes
contained in Starr's history of the Cherokees, and includes some data for later generations. Vol.1 & 2 "Letter Books,"
contains notes.
- Genealogy of Old and New Cherokee Indian Families. George Morrison Bell, Sr. First edition. 1979.
- The Polson Family a genealogy of this family by N. Brown and the Ridenours.
- Obituaries of Washington County Arkansas: 1841-1892, Vol. 1. Heritage Books, Inc.
- Obituaries of Washington County Arkansas: 1893-1902, Vol. 2. Heritage Books, Inc.
- Wills
- Wm. G. Polson. Washington County Arkansas Will Book A-B
- S.F. Polson (Sarah Francis Polson 2nd wife of William Davis Polson). Washington County Arkansas Will Book A-B.
Both wills above referenced in The Arkansas Family Historian, Silver Anniversary Issue. Reprint 1962 Vol. 1 (1987). Pgs. 102-102.
Listed as recorded between 1829 and 1868. I do not yet have a copy of them.
Polson Family Research Tools
Feedback
If you see any errors or typos above, please send me an email.
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