History

Created from parts of Floyd and Paulding counties, Polk County was named for President James K. Polk.

Cedartown carries the same name as a Creek Indian town previously found in the area. The name comes from the many Red Cedar trees around the county.

Points of Interest

Rockmart is at the end of a state-owned abandoned railroad line to Atlanta. Polk County has over a 15 mile paved section of the Silver Comet Trail. The first section of the trail starts in Paulding County and heads west to Polk County. The second part of the trail runs from Coot's Lake Road to historical Downtown Rockmart. The important part of the trail, located in Cedartown, is not paved and still has railroad tracks on the trail. This part of the Silver Comet Trail connects Georgia to the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama.

Cedartown's Big Spring is the largest natural limestone spring in the South.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places is the downtown district of Cedartown, an example of 1890s architecture. Also included is the Hawkes Children's Library, built in 1921. It is now a museum.

Notable Citizens

Ivy Ledbetter Lee, known as the founder of modern public relations, was from Polk County.

Higher Education

Coosa Valley Technical College has a satellite campus in Rockmart.

Annual Events

There are several special events in the county, including the Cedar Valley Arts Festival in May, the Wheel Chair Athlete Camp in June, the Homespun Festival in July, Hightower Falls Festival and Native American Powwow, and the Cedartown Fall Festival in October.

The Old Mill, Cedartown

The Silver Comet Trail