ARTICLE
Having lived in Lakeland for the last two and a half years I have heard whispers of how Lakeland has a rich history. I have heard mention of orange groves, fires throughout downtown, and major public figures coming to town. I never really thought twice about it, but it seems like I have been missing a major part of experiencing Lakeland by not better understanding its history. Last week, a few of my coworkers and I went to the Lakeland Public Library to become better educated with the History of Lakeland by Ms. LuAnn Mims, the Lakeland History Room Librarian Supervisor. History & Cultural Center: In the Lakeland History and Culture center is the History Room, where you can meet with LuAnn Mims and ask her all of your Lakeland history questions. We asked her about all of the Lakeland legends that we know and love. She told us about how Lakeland became a city and the legend of Blinky the Alligator. LuAnn was very helpful in clarifying details that we know and love in our Lakeland legends. She also walked us through the current exhibit in the Lakeland History & Culture Center, highlighting what laid the foundation for Lakeland and how a railroad and produce make Lakeland into the city we know today. You might be surprised by the details of the stories that have been told for generations but you will just have to go meet LuAnn and hear those details for yourself. Historic Info: Along with the wealth of knowledge LuAnn has, there is a room full of physical archives. These archives have original zoning maps of the city, keys to the city, high school yearbooks, old blueprints, photographs and more. All of these valuable historic items have been donated by our local Lakelanders. The best part is, almost all of their archives have been digitized for you to access anywhere.
Having lived in Lakeland for the last two and a half years I have heard whispers of how Lakeland has a rich history. I have heard mention of orange groves, fires throughout downtown, and major public figures coming to town. I never really thought twice about it, but it seems like I have been missing a major part of experiencing Lakeland by not better understanding its history. Last week, a few of my coworkers and I went to the Lakeland Public Library to become better educated with the History of Lakeland by Ms. LuAnn Mims, the Lakeland History Room Librarian Supervisor.
History & Cultural Center:
In the Lakeland History and Culture center is the History Room, where you can meet with LuAnn Mims and ask her all of your Lakeland history questions. We asked her about all of the Lakeland legends that we know and love. She told us about how Lakeland became a city and the legend of Blinky the Alligator. LuAnn was very helpful in clarifying details that we know and love in our Lakeland legends. She also walked us through the current exhibit in the Lakeland History & Culture Center, highlighting what laid the foundation for Lakeland and how a railroad and produce make Lakeland into the city we know today. You might be surprised by the details of the stories that have been told for generations but you will just have to go meet LuAnn and hear those details for yourself.
Historic Info:
Along with the wealth of knowledge LuAnn has, there is a room full of physical archives. These archives have original zoning maps of the city, keys to the city, high school yearbooks, old blueprints, photographs and more. All of these valuable historic items have been donated by our local Lakelanders. The best part is, almost all of their archives have been digitized for you to access anywhere.