urn:taro:houpub.00182 Naomi H. Polk Collection: An Inventory of Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library
500 McKinney St. Julia Ideson Building, 2nd Floor Houston, Tx 77002 832-393-1665
Encoded in EAD Version 2002 and edited according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions by Amber Seely inDecember 2007 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Polk, Naomi H. d. May 5, 1984 Naomi H. Polk Collection early 1900's-early 1980's Materials are in English. MSS 270 1 box Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library Biographical Note

Mrs. Naomi H. Polk was a woman who was very passionate, descriptive, and spiritually aware. Her passions were God, her mother, her heritage, and Houston. Mrs. Polk was born around the end of the 1800's in the sixth ward of Houston. She was one of ten children born to Josephine Tatum (Walton) and Woodson Howard. Josephine was directly of African descent and although her African surname was Tatum, she had to take her master' surname, Walton. Mrs. Polk took great pride in her direct link to Africa from her mother, but she was unsure of her father's heritage. Her mother was a strong woman, as well as a great influence on Mrs. Polk's life. Throughout this selection she refers to herself as Aunt Jo's child. She offers the explanation for calling her mother her aunt in one of her stories. Mrs. Polk's writings are creative, descriptive pieces that transport the reader to whicheer event is her subject matter. Mrs. Polk, while an ordinary citizen and observer of Houston, left behind a great collection concerning the city and her life withing it. Mrs. Polk died May 5, 1984 in the city she loved.

This collection consists of the memoirs of Mrs. Naomi H. Polk. The main topics of her writings are her heritage, her feelings about Houston, her childhood, and religion. Her strong belief in God is extremely evident throughout her writings. Although her memoirs are not in chronological order, they roughly span from the conditions surrounding how her great-grandparents were brought to America from Africa up until the time she spiritually reunited with God. Each handwritten page is a glimpse into the soul of Mrs. Naomi H. Polk. Without specific dates as a guide, this collection has an estimated span of seventy to eighty years from the early 1900's through the 1970's or early 1980's.

 Access Restrictions

None.

 Use Restrictions

Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Naomi H. Polk Collection must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.

 Preferred Citation

Naomi H. Polk Collection. MSS 270. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

 Acquisition Information

Donated by Rosalie M. Taylor, 1984.

Processing Information

Processed by Nikeesha Burrell, 1996.

Index TermsSubjects (Persons)Polk, Naomi H. d. May 5, 1984Subjects (Places)Houston, Tex.SubjectsAfrican Americans--Texas--HoustonDetailed Description11Heritage and Houston12Short Stories13Religion14Songs and Poems15Incomplete Manuscripts