Polk County is names for James Knox Polk, who was the eleventh President of the United States of America.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – St. Clair County and Hickory County
E – Dallas County
S – Greene County
W – Dade County and Cedar County
Created: January 5, 1835 
County Seat:
Bolivar 1835 – present
County Courthouse – Bolivar
Location: 102 East Broadway / North Main Avenue
Built: 1906 – 1907
Style: Romanesque
Architect: Robert G Kirsch of Kirsch and Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Contractor: Atlas Construction Company of St. Louis
Description: The building faces north and is a two story course stone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Bolivar. The north front has a projecting portico with large arch at the entrance on the first story. Above the portico is a balcony on the second story with large arched window and rising to a third story dormer with peaked roof. Each corner has a square stone tower with domed roof. On the center of the roof is a square stone clock tower with steep roof and the statue of Justice at the top.
See: The architect, Robert Geoege Kirsch designed courthouses in Missouri in Adair County, Carroll County, Cooper County and Vernon County, in Texas in Hemphill County and Randall County, and in Wisconsin in Oconto County and Waukesha County.
See: The 30th Judicial District covers Benton County, Dallas County, Hickory County, Polk County and Webster County.
History: The county was created in 1835 and Bolivar was selected as the county seat. The first courts met in private homes. The first courthouse was built under the direction of William Jamison in 1837 at the corner of the square. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built under the supervision of William Jameson in 1839 to 1841. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1906 to 1907 at a cost of $41,950.
County Courthouse – Bolivar
Picture 1841 County Courthouse
Photos taken 2009