Polkville was named for President James K. Polk. At some point in the 1870s the name was changed to “Johnson.” It was changed back to Polkville in 1879. Polkville’s first mayor was Richard Whisnant.
Polkville’s Beginnings
Polkville had its beginnings all the way back to 1787 when Mt. Harmony Methodist Church was established. It did not have a post office until 1847. Polkville was incorporated on April 8, 1971.
In the late 1880s, Polkville resident Jake Eaker founded and operated Cleveland County’s first telephone exchange. Also in the 1880s, the first school was established. Known as “Elliott’s School,” it was operated by local Methodists.
The town’s most famous native son was Hatcher Hughes. The son of Andrew Jackson and Martha Gold Hughes, Hatcher became a professor of English and playwriting at Columbia University in New York. Hatcher Hughes won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for his play, “Hellbent fer Heaven.”
Well known newspaper columnist Melvin L. White lived in Polkville. In his columns, he used the pen name “Corn Cracker.” He was much loved for his humor and also as a teacher, having taught school in Polkville for 45 years.
Polkville Schools
Polkville Churches
Blind from birth, Joseph William “Joe Bill” Harris was famous for his ability to recane chairs. According to an interview by Linda Cabaniss with The Shelby Star, Joe Bill had recaned chairs for people as far away as Berlin, Germany and San Diego, California. (Star article was published Aug. 31, 1984.)
Architect Fred Simmons had a short, dirt airstrip on his property located across from Union Baptist Church. In 1979, the strip was home to Carolina Sky Dive, a skydiving school run by Art Patterson. Shelby Daily Star journalist, Joe DePriest wrote an extensive piece about Patterson, which brought a lot of attention to the school.
Patterson hired Bill Secker, a recently retired air force major, to pilot a Cessna 210 modified for parachutists.
Patterson and his students were in good hands with Secker. A career USAF combat fighter pilot, he had flown the F100, F105, and the F111. During the Vietnam Conflict he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Metal with 11th Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Commendation Metal, among many other accolades.
Several Cleveland Countians jumped out of a perfectly good airplane during the school’s short-lived time in Polkville–Carla Beam, Allen Davis, Paula Dedmon, Roy Dyer, Carl Greene, Ron Ivie, Dennis Riley, Sr. and Steve Vaughn, to name a few. Carl Greene also served as jumpmaster, due to his skydiving experience during his time in the Air Force. Steve Vaughn made his first jump with Patterson and went on to make a side career of teaching others at Skydive Carolina in Chester, SC. Vaughn completed thousands of jumps over the next few decades.
Mayors
Polkville’s first mayor was Richard “Dicky” Whisnant, who passed away in 2020. (Photo courtesy of Cecil Burton Funeral Home.)
Polkville’s current mayor is Robyn Cook Schoolcraft.
| Additional Information on Polkville, NC |
| Polkville, NC Wikipedia entry |
| David Floyd’s vintage video of people arriving at Polkville Methodist Church on an Easter Sunday in the 1950s. |
Cleveland County History 