Sonoma-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Polk, Charles E. 1839 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 1, 2006, 3:57 pm

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880)

Polk, Charles E. Was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, December 6, 1839. In 1840
his father, Clement M. Polk, emigrated to Springfield, Illinois, where he was
engaged both as a farmer and journalist till his death, which occurred in 1849.
The subject of this sketch and a younger brother then went to live with an uncle
in Kentucky, where Charles spent his time working on a farm and going to school
till he arrived at the age of fourteen, when he was apprenticed to learn the
watch and jewelry trade at Danville, Kentucky. After working here for four
years, he then engaged with a larger firm in Lexington, Kentucky, remaining in
that city till 1864, the last two years being engaged in business on his own
account. Business in the border States at this period became rather hazardous,
owing to the civil war then in progress, and Mr. Polk determined to close out
his commercial affairs, and join some friends about to make a journey overland
to California. All the arrangements being completed, the party set out for the
Pacific slope, starting from St Joseph, Missouri, on the 26th of May, 1864.
There was in the company a family by the name of Welch, three of whom died at
Ft. Laramie of mountain fever. The trip across the plains was a long and tedious
one. and part of the way quite dangerous, on account of the presence of the
hostile Minnesota Sioux Indians, who, when a favorable opportunity presented
itself, would attack and kill the emigrants, and steal their stock. July 12th
Mr. Polk and companions had a narrow escape. A large band of savages were
concealed in bushes on Horseshoe creek, and attacked a train a little in advance
of theirs, killing the men, six in number, destroying their wagons, and carrying
off two women and a little girl, and the stock. They reached Virginia, Nevada
territory, October 8th, where Mr. Polk remained about six weeks, but not finding
profitable employment, pushed on to San Francisco, there engaging work with
Messrs. Collins & Co. and D W Laird in the jewelery business. On April 6, 1867,
he came to Petaluma, and for four years he was with the late A. G. Medley, and
on November 8, 1871, he commenced the watch and jewelery trade at his present
location, number thirty-five Main street, near English. Married Miss Josphine,
daughter of James D. and Mary E. Thompson, on November 27, 1873, who was born in
Petaluma, California, August 25, 1853. By this union there are: James E., born
October 23, 1874; Mary E., born April 7, 1878, and died May 8th of that year;
Wiliam Clement, born April 14, 1879.

Additional Comments:
Petaluma Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY
—OF-
SONOMA COUNTY,
-INCLUDING ITS—
Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams;
—TOGETHER WITH—
A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original
Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular
Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County;
Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain
 Growing Interests, and Pisciculture;
ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
—AND OF ITS—
Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO:
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.


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