Highlights include the annual parade, a jazz festival, free admission to the Florida Children’s Museum and a day of service
Category: History
Posted inHistory
Indie Atlantic Studios Secures Rights to Documentary on Notorious Florida Sheriff
The Lakeland film company landed rights to two books by Gilbert King about Lake County’s Willis McCall.
Posted inA & E
Monument Honoring American Revolution Proposed for Veterans Park
The tribute would be unveiled on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Posted inPeople
World War II Veteran, 103, Recalls Pacific Battles
Lakeland resident Kenneth Pennington, a 30-year U.S. Navy veteran, participated in nine major engagements during WWII.
Posted inHistory
Spanish-American War Monument Unveiled at Veterans Park
Local students helped design the tribute to soldiers who were stationed in Lakeland in 1898.
Posted inCity Hall, History
City Hall Wreath Honors Memory of Queen Elizabeth II
Two blocks north of Lake Morton, where the regal descendants of Queen Elizabeth II’s white swans still glide across its waters, a wreath honoring her life, her contribution to the city, and her passing on Thursday stands in the City Hall lobby.
Posted inHistory
Lakeland’s Signature Swans are a Legacy from Queen Elizabeth
Lakeland’s signature swans are a legacy from the early days of the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at age 96. After an earlier swan population dwindled, a local couple living in England appealed to the queen in 1956 for a pair from her flock. She gifted the swans, with local residents […]
Posted inHistory, Social Services
Library’s Main Branch Reopens Tuesday; History Center Launches a Few Weeks Later
It is move-in weekend for the Lakeland Public Library’s main branch along the east shore of Lake Morton. The 56-year-old facility has been undergoing a massive $1.89 million renovation for the last 18 months, including a new HVAC system, ceilings, lighting, flooring, paint, furniture, a new collection layout — and the addition of the Exhibit […]
Posted inActivism, City Hall, History
Juneteenth Not a Day Off for City of Lakeland – Yet
On Monday, banks will be closed and so will post offices in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the end of slavery in Texas in 1865. The city of Lakeland will be open for business this year, including a city commission meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.
Posted inHistory, Schools
New Historical Marker Honors 1928 Founding of Kathleen School
A historical marker designating Kathleen Middle School as a Polk County Heritage Site was installed this week at the school, which opened in 1928 as Kathleen School. In its early years, the school served students in grades 1 to 12, extending education in the Kathleen community past the eight grade for the first time.