FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LAKELAND

1.  When was Lakeland founded?

     The city of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885.  Abraham Munn of
     Louisville, Kentucky had purchased 80 acres of land in what now constitutes
     downtown Lakeland in 1882.  In 1884, he organized the Lakeland Improvement
     Company to lay out streets and sell lots.

2.  What are Lakeland's latitude and longitude?

     Lakeland is located at 28 degrees 2 minutes North by 81 degrees 57 minutes 
     West.

3.  What is the current population of Lakeland?

     The population of Lakeland at the end of 2002 was just over 86,000.  It is
     difficult to be more precise because the city's population can increase
     significantly when it annexes previously unincorporated areas of Polk County.

4.  How many lakes are there in Lakeland?

     There are 13 named "natural" lakes in Lakeland.  There are several other bodies
     of water that are not natural lakes, but abandoned phosphate mine pits that
     have filled with water. 

5.  Which is the largest and which the smallest lake in Lakeland?

     Lake Parker, covering 2,250 acres, is the largest.  Lake Horney at just under 8
     acres, is the smallest.

6.  When did the Detroit Tigers begin holding spring training in Lakeland?

     The Detroit Tigers and Lakeland have had a longer continuous relationship than
     any other major league baseball team and its spring training home. The Tigers
     first came to Lakeland for spring training in 1934 and, except for a three year
     interruption during World War II, have been here ever since. The team played its
     spring training games at Henley Field until 1966, when Joker Marchant Stadium
     opened.

7.  Which Lakeland residents served as governor of Florida?

     Park Trammell served as governor from 1913 to 1917 and went on to serve for
     20 years in the United States Senate.  Lawton Chiles served as governor of the
     state from 1991 to 1998 after representing Florida in the United States Senate
     for 18 years. Both men have buildings named after them in Lakeland.  The middle
     school (old high school) on South Florida Avenue is named for Lawton Chiles.
     The building on the corner of Lake Morton Drive and Massachusetts Avenue (the
     old library), which now houses the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, is
     named for Park Trammell.

     Another Polk County native, Spessard Holland of Bartow, was governor of
     Florida from 1941 to 1945. He too went on to serve Florida in the United
     States Senate for 24 years.

8.  Where did the swans come from?

     Swans were reported to be on the city's lakes as early as 1923.  Most
     likely, those early swans had been purchased as pets by lake front residents,
     who later released them on the lakes. By 1954 the last of these swans and
     their descendants had died, having fallen prey to people, pets, dogs, and/or
     alligators.

     A Lakeland resident (Mrs. Robert Pickhardt), who had enjoyed the swans and
     mourned their passing, wrote to Queen Elizabeth of England and inquired about
     purchasing a pair of swans from the royal flock on the Thames River. A
     representative of the royal family replied that the Queen would donate a pair of
     swans to Lakeland if the city would pay the cost of capturing and shipping the
     swans. The money was raised for shipping the swans, and two white mute
     swans from England were released on Lake Morton on February 9, 1957.
     Their descendants continue to grace Lake Morton and other lakes throughout
     the city.

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