Polley, Joseph Henry, 1795-1879

A native of New York, Joseph Henry Polley (1795-1869) came to Texas in 1821 from Missouri as part of Stephen F. Austin’s colony. Settling first in the Brazoria district, Polley concentrated on cattle raising, rapidly expanding his herds and land holdings. He moved to the area of Sutherland Springs in Wilson County in 1847, where he built an imposing stone home, called Whitehall, in the 1850s.

Joseph H. Polley married Mary Bailey in 1823. The couple had eleven children. A daughter, Emaline Polley, married surveyor and land speculator John James, who was a frequent business partner of Polley’s, an association that continued after the death of Emaline Polley James.

Joseph H. Polley died at his home in 1869 and was buried in the nearby family cemetery.