I visited the Stephen Foster Memorial in Florida last fall and brought home a list of Foster's published works. "Polly Wolly Doodle" isn't on the list. In the process of looking for information, I found this site (click here). Take a look.
I found the song in several books, but none had a songwriter listed or any historical notes. It wasn't even in the Burl Ives Songbook, if you can believe that. The only remark I found anywhere was in the Fireside Book of Fun & Game Songs, which said it was a "popular minstrel song." I coulda guessed that - my guess is it was written in the mid-1900's by a white male, for a minstrel show.
-Joe Offer-