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

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  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

  Crate Labels: Preserving and Promoting the Florida Citrus Industry
  with Brenda Burnette
  Lakeland Public Library Meeting Room 
  Thursday, March 19th at 10 AM 

  Join us in the Meeting Room at the Lakeland Public Library on Thursday, March 19th at 5:30 PM as Brenda Burnette presents about the history of Florida citrus crate labels in "Crate Labels: Preserving and Promoting the Florida Citrus Industry."

  Learn more about the history of citrus crate labels and their importance to the citrus industry with the co-author of the book Florida Citrus Crate labels: An Illustrated History. Florida Citrus Crate labels served as branding and advertisements for the citrus industry. These highly collectable and brightly colored labels also served as early billboards that attracted tourism into the state and tell more about citrus and local history.

  No registration required.

  Find out more information about "Crate Labels: Preserving and Promoting the Florida Citrus Industry".  

   

• 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

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  Learn more about the Lakeland History & Culture Center.

Popular at the Lakeland History Room

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  Ancestry.com

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

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  Digital Photo Collection Feature: Lakeland Public Library Through the Years

  Explore Lakeland’s History through Photos! 

  The Lakeland Public Library opened in January 1927 on the shores of Lake Morton. Prior to that time, the Woman's Club, organized in 1912, maintained a library city residents could use. The city purchased land, formerly used as a campground for Spanish-American War soldiers, from Herbert Munn. There were three librarians from 1927 to 1929, when Serena C. Bailey began a thirty-year career as Librarian. In 1955, to honor its former Mayor, Governor of Florida, and U.S. Senator, the Library was renamed the Park Trammell Public Library. A new building was built in 1966 farther to the east on the lake on the property of the former Lake Morton Elementary School. This building was then enlarged in 1986 and renovated several times in subsequent years.
  
  From 1934 to 1937, library service was provided for the black residents of Lakeland at Washington Park High School. In October 1937, a branch library was opened at North Virginia Ave. and was run by Elsie Dunbar. The branch occupied several other buildings until a new building opened on North Florida Avenue in 1995.  Originally known as the Lakeland Branch Library, it was renamed the Larry R. Jackson Branch Library in 1998 to honor a man who had worked tirelessly for years to have a library built in north Lakeland. 

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  There Is a Beautiful Land

  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:

  There Is a Beautiful Land

  ...Where all your dreams come true;
  It's all tied up in a rainbow,
  All shiny and new;
  But it's not easy to find
  No matter what you do.

  Enjoy this photograph stroll through Lakeland's citrus history, showcased from our Flickr digital collection.

   

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  Lakeland Stories Feature: Lakeland Linder International Airport

  Discover more about Lakeland’s History through Stories! 

  In 1941, the City of Lakeland began construction of a second airport, called Drane Field, in southwest Lakeland. After the U.S. entered World War II, the U.S. Army took over the airport and renamed it Lakeland Army Air Field, which served as a training center for the 3rd Air Force for the duration of the war. The City received control of the base back from the military in 1946, and National Airlines began flying passenger flights from Drane Field in 1947. The City eventually sold its other airport, Lodwick Field, to raise funds to help improve Drane Field, opening the first terminal building and hosting its first airshow in 1960, setting the stage for further growth and change for the airport in the subsequent decades.

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.