Lakeland History Room

Hours: 

Mon - Thurs. - 9 am - 7 pm
Fri - Sat: 9 am - 5 pm
Sun: 1:30 pm - 5 pm

Lakeland History Room Service Desk: 863.834.4284

Lakeland History Room Librarian Supervisor: LuAnn Mims
Ph: 863.834.4269
Email: luann.mims@lakelandgov.net

Image from the Greetings from Lakeland postcard collection

• Using the Lakeland History Room

  Services: 

  • Research assistance with local history 
  • House/property records research 
  • Family Genealogy, Newspapers and Obituaries — please contact LuAnn Mims at 863.834.4269 or email LuAnn.Mims@lakelandgov.net
  • DIY Digitize Lab — guided assistance by appointment only to reformat analog materials to digital formats (excluding film). Please contact Rebecca Whalon to schedule an appointment in the DIY workspace at 863.834.4212 or email Rebecca.Whalon@lakelandgov.net

   

• Digital Collections

  The Lakeland History Room collection features a variety of materials—documents, photographs, maps, building plans, audio/visual media, and scrapbooks with specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and postcards. There are also 8000+ images viewable online via our Digital Collection on CONTENTdm.

  Click on the icons below to explore digital collections, photo albums, and story maps of Lakeland history:

                      

                        

   

• In-Person Classes and Self-Paced Learning

  In-Person Classes 

  Genealogy:

  • Generators – meets the first Monday of each month @6pm- is an ad hoc group that discusses genealogical topics of interest
  • Beginning Genealogy – offered twice a year – basic introduction to researching your family history
  • Get Started with Ancestry.com – offered twice a year – guided tour through the premier genealogical database
  • Focus on Family Search – offered twice a year – step by step look at this FREE family history resources

  Archival:

  • Photograph Preservation instruction offered in person twice a year to introduce reformatting from analog to digital concepts

  ---

  Self-Paced Learning: Organizing and Preserving Your Materials

  Trying to get your personal memorabilia better organized?  Start with the Personal Archiving at Home video series. These short videos give detailed instruction on how to take care of your treasured memorabilia – photographs, slides, negatives, papers, audio and video tapes and more. Topics include preservation, storage, digitization, standard formatting, organization tips and adding to your family archives.

  Part I: Historic Preservation
  Part II: Organization & Maintenance
  Part III: Digitization

   

• Lakeland History and Culture Center Lecture Series

  Florida Grapefruit: Sweet and Tart
  with Florida Department of Citrus
  Lakeland Public Library Meeting Room 
  Thursday, February 12th at 10 AM 

  Join us in the Meeting Room at the Lakeland Public Library on Thursday, February 12th at 5:30 PM as the Florida Department of Citrus presents about the history of Florida grapefruit in "Florida Grapefruit: Sweet and Tart."

  Learn more about the history and marketing concepts of the exotic “forbidden fruit” now known as grapefruit! This unique part of Florida's citrus history is shared by the team from the Florida Department of Citrus. Come celebrate National Grapefruit Month with us and learn all about this sweet and tart Florida fruit!

  No registration required.

  Find out more information about "Florida Grapefruit: Sweet and Tart".  No registration is required. All ages welcome.

   

   

   

   

   

• History Tours

  Lakeland History Room Staff host historical walking tours for the public featuring Lakeland history, as well as providing curated exhibit tours of the Lakeland History and Culture Center.

  • Stories and Stones – Saturdays (check dates/registration) monthly walk and talk biographical tours of Lakeland’s oldest cemeteries – Roselawn, Tigers Flowers and Lake View
  • Green Hat and White Gloves – Second Tuesdays monthly (check dates and registration) walking tour of Lake Mirror with “Serena Bailey” Lakeland’s first librarian (1929-1959)
  • From the Groves — Lakeland's Citrus Story – curated exhibit tour available by appointment

   

  For more information contact, LuAnn Mims: 863.834.4269, LuAnn.Mims@lakelandgov.net 

• Lakeland History & Culture Center

  Opened on September 8, 2022, the Lakeland History and Culture Center features a 1400 square foot exhibit space dedicated to telling the many stories of our community.

  The inaugural exhibit, Ties That Bind: 1880-1925, Lakeland's Formative Years, showcased the early days of Lakeland's founding and the role of the railroads in helping to develop the area.

  Explore the current exhibit, From the Groves — Lakeland’s Citrus Story, to discover how the citrus industry impacted Lakeland’s economy, why Lakeland was formerly called the “World Citrus Center,” the location of early groves, who helped to market the products, and what defines the local citrus industry today, as well as hear reflections through oral histories from people historically connected to citrus.

  This free, self-guided, interactive exhibit is open:

  Monday-Thursday  9am-7pm
  Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm
  Sunday 1:30pm-5pm

  For information about curated tours, call LuAnn Mims at 863.834.4269

  ---

  Learn more about the Lakeland History & Culture Center.

Popular at the Lakeland History Room

• 

  Ancestry.com

  Start your family history search here at the library! Ancestry.com offers free access to all library patrons. (In library only)

• 

  Digital Photo Collection Feature: Perkins-Phillips Photographs

  Explore Lakeland’s History through Photos! 

  Perkins Brothers Commercial Photography was a Lakeland mainstay for more than thirty years. Laurence ‘Guv’ Duane Perkins (1914-1981), born in NY, moved to Lakeland at age five. During WWII, he worked as a photographer for the US Navy, where he honed his skills in the field. Upon returning, he started working for the Lakeland Ledger as a photographer. He open a commercial studio in 1950 and was joined a few years later by younger brother Murray. The Perkins Brothers studio was located at 704 N Massachusetts Avenue in 1957.

  
  Murray ‘Perk’ Clinton Perkins (1922-2012) was born in Lakeland. At age 17, he worked as a drug store clerk. He served in the US Army during World War II. He worked along side his brother Duane following the war at their commercial studio. Following his brother’s death, Murray started a thirty-year career with Gentry Morris Funeral Home.

  Many of the Perkins Brothers photographs were transferred to Phillips Photography.

  Richard ‘Dick’ Phillips (1925-2014) opened his commercial photography studio in 1949 at 1107 S. Florida Ave. behind what is now Hungry Howie’s in Dixieland.  In 1962, he constructed the current 3,800 square-foot building at 1505 S. Florida Avenue. His son, Robin, began working in the studio at age 8 and shot his first wedding by himself at 15 years of age. The family kept the successful business going until 2022.

  This collection combines photographs from the two studios. Together, they depict a history of Lakeland from the 1940s-2000.

• 

  Communities Have Power

  Our story begins with you...what better way to tell the many stories of Lakeland and its history, than visually by showcasing highlights from our Digital Collection through Flickr.   

  Check out our featured album:

  Communities Have Power

  Enjoy this photograph album dedicated to the African-American Community of Lakeland and those that helped open the door of opportunity for all.

   

• 

  Lakeland Stories Feature: Lakeland's Historic Black Churches

  Discover more about Lakeland’s History through Stories! 

  An integral part of community development, Black churches provided both spiritual and political leadership, fostered social services, and were culturally distinct from other churches. They played an important role during times of distress – wars, economic depressions, inequality, etc. – to educate and empower their congregations. 

As a convenience and for informational purposes only, the City of Lakeland provides external hyperlinks on its website, directing website users towards certain outside sites; links to these websites do not constitute the City of Lakeland’s endorsement or approval of linked websites, or the information, products or services contained therein. All links the City of Lakeland Provides are consistent with the mission of its website. However, the City of Lakeland exercises no editorial control over the information website users may find on external websites. The City of Lakeland also cannot attest to the accuracy or appropriateness of information provided by external websites and organizations.