Polo was stablished in 1868 at a crossroads. The town was named for Marco Polo (1254-1324) of Venice, whose book based on 17 years at the court of Kublai Khan reeducated Europe about Asia. The United Methodist Church located along Highway 13 (1903) is one of the community's most imposing buildings, a one-story brick  structure with a large and detailed stained-glass window.