European-American settlers arrived in Lakeland from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina in the 1870s. The city expanded in the 1880s with the arrival of rail service, with the firstfreedmen railway workers settling here in 1883.[2] They and European immigrants also came because of land development opportunities with farming, citrus, cattle andphosphate industry developing. Lakeland is home to the 1,267-acreCircle B Bar Reserve (513 ha).[9]
Lakeland's business district, early 1920sThe John F. Cox Grammar School opened in 1925, which now serves as the building forAcademy Prep Center of Lakeland, a private middle school which serves grades 5-8.
In the 18th century Native Americans groups, collectively called "Seminoles", moved into the areas left vacant. In 1823, the United States and the various tribes in Florida signed theTreaty of Moultrie Creek, which created a reservation in central Florida that included what is now Polk County.[10] Starting in 1832, the United States government tried to move the Seminoles in Florida west to theIndian Territory. Most of the Seminoles resisted, resulting in theSecond Seminole War, 1835–1842. By the end of that war, most of the Seminoles had been sent west, with a few remnants pushed well south of what is now Polk County.[11]
Florida became a state in 1845, and Polk County was established in 1861. After theAmerican Civil War, the county seat was established southeast of Lakeland inBartow. While most of Polk County's early history centered on the two cities of Bartow andFort Meade, eventually, people entered the areas in northern Polk County and began settling in the areas which became Lakeland.[12]
Lakeland was first settled in the 1870s, and began to develop as therail lines reached the area in 1884.Freedmen settled here in 1883, starting development of what became theAfrican-American neighborhood of Moorehead. Lakeland was incorporated January 1, 1885. The town was founded byAbraham Munn (a resident ofLouisville, Kentucky), who purchased 80 acres (320,000 m2) of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 andplatted the land for the town in 1884. Lakeland was named for the many lakes near the town site.[13]
In April 1898, theSpanish–American War began and started a crucial point in Lakeland's development. While the war ended quickly and had little effect on most of the nation, the Florida peninsula was used as a launching point for military forces in the war. The then small town of Lakeland housed over 9,000 troops. The10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the originalBuffalo Soldier regiments, were housed on the banks of Lake Wire.[14] Soon after being stationed there, the black troops faced conflict with the local white population. In one event, a local druggist refused to sell to black soldiers and an argument ensued which eventually escalated to the point where the druggist brandished a pistol. The soldiers shot the druggist before he could fire, which resulted in two of the troops being arrested.[15]
View of Lakeland, April 1922Factory under construction, August 1941
The Florida boom resulted in the construction of many significant structures in Lakeland, a number of which are now listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. This list includes the Terrace Hotel, New Florida Hotel (Regency Tower, currently Lake Mirror Tower),Polk Theatre,Frances Langford Promenade,Polk Museum of Art (not a product of the 1920s boom), Park Trammell Building (formerly theLakeland Public Library and today the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), and others. The city also has several historic districts that have many large buildings built during the 1920s and 1940s. TheCleveland Indians held spring training there from 1923 to 1927 atHenley Field Ball Park. Parks were developed surrounding Lake Mirror, including Barnett Children's Park, Hollis Gardens, and the newest, Allen Kryger Park.[16]
In 1938,Florida Southern College PresidentLudd Spivey invited architectFrank Lloyd Wright to design a "great education temple in Florida."[17] Wright worked on the project for over 20 years as Spivey found ways to fund it and find construction workers duringWorld War II.[17] Wright's original plan called for 18 structures; in total he designed 30, but only 12 were completed.[18] Wright'stextile block motif is used extensively on the campus. The concrete blocks he used are in need of restoration.[19]
Wright titled the projectChild of the Sun, describing his Florida Southern buildings as being "out of the ground, into the light, a child of the sun."[20] It is the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world, and attracts 30,000 visitors each year.[18] In 1975, the "Florida Southern Architectural District" was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[18] In 2012, Wright's campus was designated as aNational Historic Landmark by theNational Park Service.
Between 1940 and 1945, more than 8,000 Army Air Corps andArmy Air Forcescadets trained on two-seaterStearman PT-17 and PT-13biplanes at the school (renamed the Lodwick School of Aeronautics in the midst of this period).[21]
From June 1941 until October 1942, 1,327 BritishRoyal Air Force cadets trained at the Lakeland facility.[21] The Lodwick School of Aeronautics closed in 1945. The airport ceased flight operations in the 1960; the site has since then housed theDetroit Tigers' "Tiger Town" baseball complex.[21]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 67 sq mi (173.5 km2), of which 45.84 sq mi (118.7 km2) is land and 5.61 sq mi (14.5 km2) (10.90%) is covered by water. Lakeland is within the Central Florida Highlands area of theAtlantic coastal plain, with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.[22]
Lake Mirror Park in downtown Lakeland, with surrounding City Hall and Lakeland Terrace Hotel
The dominant feature in Lakeland is the city's many lakes. Thirty-eight lakes are named, with a number of other bodies of water unnamed, mostly phosphate mine pits that eventually filled with water.[23][24] The largest of these isLake Parker, which is 2,550 acres (10.3 km2) in size. Much of the culture of Lakeland revolves around its many lakes, and many people use the lakes as reference points in much the same way people in other towns use streets as reference points, such as "I live near Lake Beulah." In addition to Lake Parker, some of the more prominent lakes in the Lakeland area areLake Hollingsworth,Lake Morton, Lake Mirror, andLake Gibson.
Swans are one of the most visible features on the lakes near downtown Lakeland. They have a long history, the first swans appearing around 1923. By 1954, the swans were gone, eradicated byalligators and pets. A Lakeland resident who mourned the passing of the swans wrote toQueen Elizabeth II. Theroyal family allowed the capture of two of the royal swans, and the swans now on the lakes of Lakeland are the descendants of the one surviving royal swan sent by the Queen.[25]
In July 2006, Scott Lake, one of the city's lakes, was almost totally drained by a cluster ofsinkholes.[26] Later the lake partially refilled.[27]
Lakeland, like most other parts of Florida north ofLake Okeechobee, is in thehumid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification:Cfa). Typically, summers are hot and humid with high temperatures seldom dropping below 90 °F and 70 °F for the overnight low. Like most of Central Florida, afternoon thunderstorms are the norm throughout the summer. Winters in Lakeland are drier and warm, with frequent sunny skies. High temperatures range in the mid 70s during the day, with lows in the 50s. Cold snaps drop temperatures below freezing twice a year on average.
Climate data for Lakeland, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present
Lakeland, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 United States census, there were 112,641 people, 41,750 households, and 24,433 families residing in the city.[34]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 97,422 people, 40,529 households, and 24,654 families residing in the city.[35]
Between 2008–2012, the per capita income was $23,817 and the median household income was $40,284. Persons below the poverty line in 2008–2012 were 17.5% according to the US Census.[36]
As of 2000, 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39% were individuals and nontraditional families. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82.
In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $16,119, and for a family was $17,468. Males had a median income of $14,137 versus $9,771 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $15,760. About 47% of families and 35% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 97% of those under age 18 and 9% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, those who spoke onlyEnglish at home accounted for 91% of all residents, while 9% spoke other languages at home. The most significant wereSpanish speakers who made up 6.4% of the population, whileGerman came up as the third-most spoken language, which made up 0.8%, andFrench was fourth, with 0.5% of the population.[37]
In 1913, the Wolfson family arrived fromLithuania and became the firstJewish settlers to the area.[38] The first synagogue, Temple Emanuel, opened in 1932.[39] TheRohr Jewish Learning Institute presents classes and seminars in Lakeland in partnership with Chabad of Lakeland.[40]
Lakeland is home to the SwaminarayanHindu Temple, which was established in 2005.[41]
In 1994, the first and onlymosque in the county was established. It was called Masjid Aisha, but is now called the Islamic Center of Lakeland.[citation needed]
Christianity makes up the largest religious group in Lakeland. As of 2013, an estimated 300 churches existed with an address in the city.[42]
Lakeland is the largest city on Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa. Large industries in the Lakeland area are citrus, cattle, andphosphate mining. In the past few decades, tourism, medicine, insurance, transportation, and music have grown in importance.
Citrus growing dates back to the early settlers who planted trees in the area, in the 1850s. After a series of freezes in counties north of Polk County, the area became the focal point for citrus growing in Florida. Although citrus is no longer the largest industry in the area, it still plays a large part in the economy of Lakeland and Polk County.
Phosphate mining is still important to the economy of Lakeland, although most of the mining now takes place farther south. TheBone Valley produced 25% of the U.S. phosphate supply.
Lakeland's largest employer isPublix Super Markets.[43] Publix is one of the largest regional grocery chains in the United States with over 1,200 stores across theAmerican South. Publix employs over 6,500 people in the Lakeland area including headquarters,Information Technology and warehouse employees.
The Lakeland History Room is a special collections archive established in 1987 housed within theLakeland Public Library's main branch. The Lakeland History Room maintains the City's collection of historical materials as well as other locally relevant collections composed of documents, photographs, maps, building plans, audio/visual media, scrapbooks, specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and postcards.[46] The LHR maintains a large digital collection with over 7,000 images of the city of Lakeland, its landmarks, significant historical moments, cultural institutions, and prominent citizens.[46] The LHR provides one-on-one assistance with historic research, a history lecture series with prominent local historians, a DIY Digitizing Lab for personal material preservation, and genealogical programs and resources.[46]
In 2019, an initiative led by Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker, was first presented to the City Commission to create the City's first History and Culture Center. The project was unanimously approved by the Commission and funds were allocated for the project's construction; although, the exhibit's content design would be funded by local donations and grant funding.[47] An advisory committee made up of educators, city officials, local business owners, and civic and community leaders, led by former MayorGow Fields, was established to organize and advise the City in the design, content, and construction of the exhibit.[47] TheLakeland Public Library was eventually chosen as the location of the future exhibit space due to its central location within the city, its status as a community hub, and because it was the current home of the city's local archive, the Lakeland History Room, which would be expanded into the Lakeland History and Culture Center. The History and Culture Center opened to the public in September 2022.[48]
In the 1980s, the Lakeland Center briefly played host to the indoor version of theTampa Bay Rowdiessoccer team. The Lakeland Center has also hosted a few hockey teams, the Lakeland Ice Warriors, the Lakeland Prowlers, and the Lakeland Loggerheads. TheUnited States Basketball League once had a team here as well called theLakeland Blue Ducks.Sun 'n Fun was home to Lakeland's onlyroller derby league, theLakeland Derby Dames; however, the team was dissolved in November 2015.[62]
Lakeland is governed by a six-member city council. Four members are elected fromsingle-member districts; the other two are electedat-large, requiring them to gain a majority of the votes. The mayor is elected.
The City of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885. The mayor is one of seven members of the City Commission, acting as the board chair and performing mostly ceremonial and procedural duties beyond the powers of the other six. Prior to 1988, the City Commission selected Lakeland's mayor from among its members. Mayors can be on the board for up to 12 years in a lifetime, or 16 years in combination with holding a regular commission position. Lakeland's first mayor was J.W. Trammell.
The first female mayor was Lois Q. Searl, who served in 1965.The 1970 municipal election placed the first African-American on the City Commission, Dr.John S. Jackson.[63] In 1972, he became the first black mayor for the city.In 1980,Carrie R. Oldham became Lakeland's first African-American female mayor.
Since 1988, the mayor has been elected by the city's voters.
On September 28, 2006, Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi were shot and killed after a routine traffic stop in the Wabash area of Lakeland. More than 500 police officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies joined in a search for Angilo Freeland, suspected of murdering Williams and stealing his gun. Freeland was found hiding in a rural area the next morning. Nine officers from five different law enforcement agencies surrounded Freeland and shot him when he raised Williams' stolen gun at them. A total of 110 shots were fired, and Freeland was hit 68 times, killing him instantly.[64][65] Multiple investigations concluded the officers' use of force was justified.[66] Deputy Williams and Diogi were laid to rest on October 3, 2006, after a funeral that included a one-hour-and-45-minute procession toAuburndale.[67]
In 2021, the Lakeland Police Department hired numerous former NYPD officers. Two of the new hires failed to disclose that they had been disciplined by the NYPD, and one new hire used to work in the NYPD's notorious anti-crime units which were disbanded after high-profile scandals.[68]
The 28 elementary schools, seven middle schools, five traditional high schools, and three magnet-choice high schools in the Lakeland area are run by thePolk County School Board.
The IST building of Florida Polytechnic University
A number of opportunities exist for higher education around the Lakeland area.Southeastern University is the largest university in the area, with undergraduate enrollment around 6200.[69] Southeastern is affiliated with theAssemblies of God.Florida Southern College, established in 1883 and with a current undergraduate enrollment of just over 2600,[70] is onLake Hollingsworth. Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. In July 2008, the University of South Florida's Lakeland campus was granted partial autonomy by GovernorCharlie Crist and became Florida Polytechnic University. Florida Polytechnic (FLPoly) is just inside the Lakeland's northeast border at the intersection of I-4 and Polk Parkway. They also have some administrative offices on the campus ofPolk State College on Winter Lake Road. FLPoly is focused on STEM degree programs, such as engineering and computer science.[71] BothEverest University andKeiser University, two multisite, accredited universities, have locations in Lakeland. Traviss Career Center is avocational school.[72]Webster University offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling at their Lakeland Metropolitan Campus[73]
Polk County is within the Tampa Bay television market.Charter Spectrum is the cable television franchise serving Lakeland, which offers most television stations from the Tampa Bay market, as well asWFTV, theABC affiliate from Orlando.WMOR-TV, anindependent television station, is licensed to Lakeland, with its studios in Tampa and its transmitter inRiverview.
Lakeland and Polk County are within its own radio market. Local radio stations include:
WLLD 94.1 FM is licensed to Lakeland, but has wider focus on the Tampa Bay area, with studios inSt. Petersburg.WKES 91.1 FM is also licensed to Lakeland as part of the statewideMoody Radio Florida network, with studios inSeminole, near St. Petersburg. Most major stations from Tampa Bay and a few from Orlando are also available.
Print media includeThe Ledger, a local newspaper owned byGannett. Patterson Jacobs Media Group publishes a magazine,The Lakelander.
LkldNow is a nonprofit digital news organization that covers Lakeland news.
Because Lakeland is the largest city onI-4 between Tampa and Orlando, the city is an important transportation hub. The county nickname, Imperial Polk County, was coined because a large bond issue in 1914 enabled wide roads between the cities of Polk County.[74]
The important freeways and highways in Lakeland today are:
I-4 is the main interstate in Central Florida linking Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach.
SR 570 (or Polk Parkway), is a tolled beltway around Lakeland, with both ends terminating at I-4. Although its shape, location, and tolls makes it impractical as a "bypass" road, it is useful as a way of getting from part of town to another and providing access to I-4 from most parts of the city.
US 92, following Memorial Boulevard for most of the city, was the route leading to both Tampa and Orlando before I-4 was built; US 92 is still a main road leading to Plant City going west, and Auburndale, Winter Haven, and Haines City going east.
US 98, going south, follows Bartow Road and leads to Bartow, the county seat. Heading north out of town, it provides a route toDade City.
In recent years, the Lakeland area has developed a number of paved, multi-use bicycle routes including theLake-To-Lakes Trail, which runs fromLake Parker through downtown, past several lakes, ending at Lake John. Other routes include University Trail, which connectsPolk State College to Florida Polytechnic University, and theFort Fraser Trail, which runs along US Highway 98 from Polk State College to Highway 60 inBartow.[75]
Water and wastewater in the Lakeland area is managed by Lakeland Water Utilities, municipal water supply is treated at local water plants, T.B. Williams and C. Wayne Combee. The water is mainly supplied by wells that draw from theFloridan aquifer.[78] Power is generated by a nonprofit public power utility, Lakeland Electric.[79]
Lakeland Electric is a municipal utility and government department of the city of Lakeland, Florida.[80][81] Lakeland was the third city in the state of Florida to have electric lighting powered in 1891 by The Lakeland Light and Power Company after Jacksonville and Tampa. Over a decade later in 1904, citizens purchased the private light power plant for $7,500 establishing the locally owned, municipal utility known today as Lakeland Electric.[82][83][84]
Lakeland Electric powers the city of Lakeland by two power plants, C.D. McIntosh Power Plant, coal-natural gas combined cycle plant slated to phase out in 2024, and Larsen Memorial.[85] The last coal unit at C.D. McIntosh Power Plant was phased out in January 2024, a plan presented by the Lakeland Electric staff in 2019.[86][87][88]
Lakeland Sister Cities International (LSCI), a chapter of Sister Cities International, was formed in 1990 with Lakeland's first sister city Richmond Hill, Canada.[130]
In 1990, Lakeland made itsHollywood debut when the Southgate Shopping Center was featured in the movieEdward Scissorhands. It was also used in the filming of theJudd Nelson movieEndure.[131] Classrooms from Florida Southern College were used in theAdam Sandler comedy,The Waterboy.[132] The Lakeland Civic Center was also the filming location for the music video ofLittle Red Corvette by pop musicianPrince.[133] In 2020, the Southgate Shopping Center was featured as the exterior of the “Big Top Mall” in the movieThe One and Only Ivan, with other scenes located at theSilver Moon Drive-In and Dobbins Park.[134]
^Mahon, John K. (1985).History of the Second Seminole War 1835–1842 (Revised ed.). Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press. pp. 2–8,18–37.ISBN0-8130-1097-7.
^Mahon, John K. (1985).History of the Second Seminole War 1835–1842 (Revised ed.). Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press. pp. 317–318.ISBN0-8130-1097-7.
^abBrown, Canter Jr. (2001).In the midst of all that makes life worth living : Polk County, Florida, to 1940. Tallahassee, Fla.: Sentry Press.ISBN9781889574127.
^"Spanish American War"(PDF).Polk County Historical Quarterly. Polk County Historical Association. June 2003. p. 6. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on April 2, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2010.
^Knetsch, Joe (2011).Florida in the Spanish-American War. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 131–132.ISBN9781609490881.
^"First Jewish Settlers"(PDF). Polk County Historical Association. October 2002. p. 1. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 27, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2010.
^Katz, Jeff (2015).Split Season: 1981 Fernandomania, the Bronx Zoo, and the Strike that Saved Baseball. p. 133.ISBN9781250045218.On the lawn of their Lakeland, Florida home, Joe Niekro had time for a father-son catch with his boy Lance
^*Kane, Joseph Nathan (1964).Famous First Facts. H. W. Wilson.The first electric lamp bulb frosted on the inside with sufficient strength for commercial handling was invented by Marvin Pipkin of the Incandescent Lamp Department of the General Electric Company at Nela Park, Ohio. On June 29, 1925, he applied for a patent.
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