13,430 acres with clear rippling creeks, crystal lakes, hardwood forests and large kettle shaped land formations - these are several of Polk’s attributes which attracted it’s first settlers and continue to do so today. Polk’s original boundies established by the United States Government around 1830 have never been altered.

Officially incorporated on January 21, 1846 the township had 21 voters and 5 taverns. At this meeting Dinsmore W. Maxon suggested adopting the name Polk in honor of President James K. Polk who was then in office. The first town meeting was held April 7, 1846, but minutes of business conducted were lost.

The Board of Supervisor’s first meeting was held May 5, 1846. Records state that John Rix was reimbursed $1.50 for house rent, light, and stationery for the April town meeting at his home.

In September, 1846 the first town evaluation was conducted. Polk was assessed at $20,039. - for year ending 1975 the value was $38,838,715.

Early diaries and letters to relatives back home relate interesting events as well as enthusiastic altitudes about life in Polk. Settlers speak of trading their farm produce for venison, goose, duck and wild turkey with the Indians. Bread made with mill ground flour became a particular treat for the Indians and an occasional loaf left on a settler’s window sill helped forestall a possible raid. Wild strawberries, blackberries and black raspberries grew abundantly. The township soil was well adapted to farming and grazing, though an endless number of rocks and boulders had to first be cleared.

Polk was also known for its hardwood forest, most notably the white and red cedars. References were often made about the four types of oaks, two species of sugar maples as well as the hickory and other nut trees.

The large kettles were considered spectacular and unusual. Though most did not know their historical formation, they admired the beauty created.

Good incomes could quickly be established, especially for single men, was the word sent home. A person could easily earn more here than he could ever hope to inherit back home.

Unknown to many Polk dwellers a subcontinental divide winds through the township along state highway 41. Somewhere between section 6 and 7 the water flows in opposite directions. Interesting to not - Cedar Creek with its source being Big Cedar Lake, is one of the larger tributaries of the Milwaukee River. Also, following the creeks path one observes that eventually the water flows into Lake Michigan, through the other great lakes to the St. Lawrence Seaway and finally the Atlantic Ocean.

On the other side of the divide we find several marshland areas from which creeks flow into Pike Lake, the lake in turn supplies the Rock River. This river then flows into the Mississippi River and finally into the Gulf of Mexico.

An old saying: "A stone’s throw apart at their origin - more than 2,000 miles apart in the end."

The Government registered a purchase of 160 acres in section 28 on February 2, 1843 to Theophilus Haylett.

William Williamson registered 40 acres August 7, 1843.

Dinsmore W. Maxon and father, Ethan, registered 40 acres more in March, 1845.

The other settler who preceded everyone was Chief Kewasum, head of the Potawatomi Indian Tribe. Records show he was of great assistance to the early dwellers.

John Rix as another early Polk inhabitant. The first white child born in Polk (1845) was Barnett Rix, son of John

The Maxon’s 40 acres ran along Cedar Creek where they built and operated one of the first sawmills in the area. The Rix’s, too, operated a mill about on half mile down the Creek from Maxon’s.

Because of the presence of the sawmill, and flour mill the sources of good water, the village of Cedar Creek developed, began to thrive and more settlers moved into the area. When the Bibinger family settled is uncertain, but by 1846 they operated the tavern and dance hall in Cedar Creek. Built atop a hill overlooking Maxon’s mill, today this establishment is known as Schwai’s. By 1846, 14 families lived in Cedar Creek and it served as the nucellus of Polk

Ethan Maxon was appointed Cedar Creek’s first Postmaster. His red brick house across from the tavern/dance hall served as a small store and post office. It stands today as a private home.

Following the creek southward about 5 miles one discovers Maienfelden (Mayfield). This name means Little Swiss Village and was so named by two Swedish settlers, George Fleishman and Ardeos Reidners, because the area reminded them of their homeland. However, Joseph Katz owned the general store which was near the ban (bach in German) of the creek and the people continually referred to the area as Katzebach.

By 1859 the village was a regular stop on the Ackerville to West Bend stage run. The post office had been established as well as several businesses.

First means of travel from Milwaukee to the Polk countryside was by foot, oxen team or stagecoach. Several stage stops existed along the Cedar Creek Station (Ackerville) to West Bend run.

The railroad became an important alternate means of transportation. Many preferred their comfort and swiftness. Ackerville again played an important role because of its location. The stage station soon became the train depot serving the Milwaukee Railroad Line for Polk and surrounding townships. The stage station/depot housed the original general store and post office, was later a hotel and is a private club today - the Blue Room.

This village received its name from an early German resident - Mr. Acker who built and operated the general store in Ackerville.

The American school house in Cedar Creek was in session by April, 1847. This was the first school within several miles of Cedar Creek - probably the first in Polk. John Rix is given credit for construction of the school at a cost of $49.00. No doubt the local settlers assisted in the actual building as was common practice in those days. Records show that the teacher received a salary of $10.50 per month. In addition he/she was boarded, on a rotating basis, for a few weeks at a time with each student’s family. The school house has since been restored into a private home.

The Polk Dairy school located on old highway 60 (now Sherman Road) started classes in October, 1853. The teacher’s salary was $16.25 per month. The school year lasted 6 ½ months including two months during the summer so pupils would be free at planting and harvesting seasons.

In 1865 a new stone school was constructed with all families assisting. One requirement stated: farmers owning 80 acres or more must deliver one wagon load of stone to the school site, while those with 40 acres or less were responsible for one half wagon load. Total cost of this school was $6.38.

Another new school building was constructed in 1916 and the Polk Dairy school remained in operation until 1962 when it was closed by the Slinger School District.

The Polk School District received no state, county or town aid until 1861. Town and county aid, started that year, was $99.60. State aid began in 1909.

By 1880 Polk reported ten whole and joint school districts, ten school houses valued at $8,600. There were 14 teachers instructing some 680 scholars. Total town expenses for education were around $2,900. German was taught in all Polk schools prior to 1899 when it was omitted from the curriculum.

The Cedar Creek Cemetery is over 120 years old and is located ½ mile north of Cedar Creek on County Hwy Z. It was selected back in 1853 by the Cedar Creek Cemetery Association.

Early establishment of village/religious cemeteries was

necessary because of shorter life spans and high infancy death rates.

Many of the first Ackerville settlers came from Germany. The first Evangelical church (St. Paul’s) is believed to have been built by these settlers around 1844. It was a simple log structure on Fond du Lac Road. In 1874 a brick church was erected on the same road ½ mile further north on the opposite side. The congregation of St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church had built a log structure as their first church in 1854 and in 1894 built the present brick church on what is now Slinger Road and County Hwy. E. In 1961 St. Paul’s moved their building to the site of St. John’s, the two congregations merged and the combined structure became Faith United Church of Christ.

The Washington County Fair was held in Cedar Creek on October 8^th, 9^th and 10^th in 1862.

Indian scare - 1861 - 800 Indians in the Horicon area went on the warpath and when news of the danger reached Cedar Creek, the settlers in the area hid in the ravines along Silver Lake until the danger was past. The uprising, however, never did reach the Town of Polk

Excerpts from a letter of 1846 show pork selling at

2 ½ cents per pound and beef at 4 cents.

Early hand built log homes generally measured twenty feet by twenty-two feet with a small loft area. Building supplies such as nails and tools, had to be brought from Milwaukee either by ox team or carried by pioneers on their backs. Hand tools were expensive, but considered sturdy, expertly constructed and have life long use.

During the Civil War bank representatives met at Cedar Creek and decided wheat and other produce should be sold only for gold.

Dinsmore Maxon was Polk’s first elected representative in the Wisconsin state legislature.

January 6, 1880 the West Bend, Polk, Richfield Mutual Insurance Company was organized. A town insurance company exclusively, it served as protection for business and homesteads.

Polk Dairy Company was incorporated in 1907 by several farmers hoping to sell dairy products commercially. Milk then sold for $1.52 per 100 pounds.

Dinsmore Maxon had hoped that Cedar Creek would become the hub of the Town of Polk and in the summer of 1846 he supervised the surveying for the town roads and arranged them in such a manner that all sections of the township had access to Cedar Creek.

March 1848 125 pounds of flour was valued at $3.18.

In 1930 land was purchased by the Nature Friend Club in Mayfield.

The Town of Polk Board decided to organize a town Board of Health in May, 1883.

In the 1800's many needy families lived in the countryside. Usually, established settlers were called on to donate flour, potatoes or other staples to these families to help out.

Around 1878 Julius Schleisinger operated a wildcat brewery in section 22. Two underground vaults were secreted in a small, rounded hill, so well camouflaged that unless you accidentally stepped on the ventilator shaft or walked directly into the front of it, you could not locate it. With the advent of the railroad came the revenue men, so he moved to another section of the town - a point of land projecting into Cedar Lake - and built a distillery.

The Town of Polk, including the Village of Slinger, remains a happy combination of a farming community, suburban living and access to a large city.

Town of Polk
3680 State Hwy 60
Slinger, WI 53086

Phone #262-677-2123
Phone #262-677-2435 Building Inspector
Fax #262-677-2423