From the files of the Polk County News ...

In 1942, there were 20 Confederate war veterans, 957 widows and one servant on the Confederate pension rolls of the state. One widow, Sarah Jane Bishop, 84, was on the rolls in Polk County ... B.E. Biggs Sr. was sworn in as sheriff, succeeding his son, Broughton Biggs. His law enforcement career began in 1898 when he was appointed a deputy by C.M. Campbell ... The church of God opened its 37th assembly in Cleveland ... The head of the Selective Service advised that all deferments are provisional and could be withdrawn ... Eurydice Wilson took a job as librarian at McDonogh Military Academy in Baltimore.

In 1952, the tax rate was set at $3.50, up from $2.99: County fund, 35¢; school fund, $1.76; debt service, $1.32; welfare, 2¢; health, 2¢; agricultural fund, 3¢ ... George Sosebee was elected chairman of the school board ... Polk County High School, Ducktown High School and Copperhill High School were all given a Class A rating by the state. They had a C the previous year because they had not been in session the required 175 day.

In 1962, the new Hiwassee Union Baptist church was ready to be dedicated. According to tradition, the first Baptist congregation at Reliance was organized by a number of the Negro slaves of the Dotson family and was located on what is now the Webb Brothers farm ... Polk ranked second in the Ft. Loudon Regional Library system in circulation of books and the largest percentage of non-fiction books of all eight counties ... Wilma Jean Cochran joined the staff at PCHS.

In 1972, County Judge Dennis White called a special session of the new 9-member county court, with the first item on the agenda a resolution declaring action taken by the outgoing court to be null and void ... Seventeen county officials were sworn in , including C.B. Nicholson as Assessor, whose right to take the seat was challenged. Chancellor Stewart ruled in his favor ... Elaine McClary was chosen Fairest of the Fair ... Walter Presswood joined Cleveland State to teach journalism ... American Uniform added a cutting room to their Conasauga operations ... The cattle show at the Fair was one of the largest in this part of the state.

In 1982, The new 11-member county commission held its first meeting and elected Trony Brooks chairman ... There was a heated discussion with new County Executive Charles Stevens over the firing of the previous purchasing agent and his request to appoint a new one.

In 1992, Copperhill residents went into the tent-making business to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida ... The proposed budget for Benton called for a fee for trash pickup .. The West Polk fire department had a truck ready for Delano if citizens put up a fire hall ... The TCC bankruptcy trustee was given permission to sell mineral rights back to the propertyowners ... The county’s first alternative school opened in the basement of South Polk.

In 2002, A meth lab was busted in Ocoee and police determined it to be the largest meth ever found in the county … Four people were injufred in a wreck on the Ocoee bridge on Hwy 411 … An unidentified body was found by a fisherman in Parksville Lake … The Polk County Fair was set to begin … Several program were scheduled to remember the tragedy of 9/11 … Newly elected officials were sworn in, including Hoyt Firestone, County Executive; Angie Sanford, County Clerk; Bill Davis, Sheriff;  Kandi Bramlett, Register of Deeds’ Connie Clark, Clerk of Courts; Patsy Jenkins, Trustee; County Commissioners John Pippenger, Davie Milen, Buster Lewis, Greg Barker, Daren Waters and Fred Wilcoxon; School Board members Rosella Carruth, Tom Hunt, and Greg Brooks … A memorial bluegrass festival to remember Bill Poteet was scheduled in Delano … Polk’s Wildcats held off Notre Dame for a win … The Cougars rolled over Towns County … Joe Jacobi and teammate Matt Taylor captured the gold in world championships in double canoe … Ocoee Outdoors was sued in US District Court for a fire that burned 102 acres of land off Hwy 64.