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

   

• 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: Hinkley Studios Photography

  Explore Lakeland’s History through Photos! 

  The Hinkley Photography Studios opened in Lakeland in the Bryant Building at 124 ½ South Kentucky Avenue in late 1920. Royal G. Hinkley (1881-1935) born in Michigan, originally made his living as a jeweler having learned the trade from his father. His interest in photography gained momentum with advances in cameras and film processing, which signaled a change in careers for Hinkley. In 1920, he moved to Lakeland after buying out H. T. Miller’s photography studios. He was often assisted by his brother-in-law, Wilson P. Curtis. This reflected a name change in the commercial studios to Hinkley Curtis until 1935. After Hinkley’s death, his son Curtis R. Hinkley (1907-1979) stepped in to keep the studio open through the early 1940s.

  Hinkley captured change in the Lakeland area through the lens of his camera, often taking photographs of daily life, construction of buildings and events beyond his paid contract.  Through these images, some of the community’s history is seen.

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  Workers of Lakeland

  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:

  Workers of Lakeland

  "Taking what they're giving, working for a living"

  Enjoy this "Workers of Lakeland" photographic stroll through Lakeland's wide variety of job opportunities and the workers who have made it happen through the years.

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  Lakeland Stories Feature: Morrell Memorial Hospital

  Discover more about Lakeland’s History through Stories! 

  As Lakeland’s population rose, so did the need for a permanent medical care unit. This need was satisfied when Mrs. Jane Morrell passed away in 1914. She owned a number of properties and in her will bequeathed land located on South Missouri, between Lemon and Orange Streets, to be used as a hospital for the community. The city supported this with a bond to fund construction of the building. Plans were drawn by local architect Albert J. Poteet, while the construction was completed by E.C. Angel. In August 1916, the 2-story Morrell Memorial Hospital opened with 25 beds, and a staff of 24. A 1924 bond vote allotted $300,000 for purchase of land and construction of a new municipal hospital. This facility was constructed on Lakeland Hills Boulevard in 1926. The new Morrell Memorial Hospital provided space for 100 beds. By 1959, the hospital was in need of expansion. A new six-story, 322-bed building was constructed beside the older hospital. The facility’s name was changed to Lakeland General Hospital and the old Morrell Memorial Hospital building was used for administrative purposes. To make way for expanded medical facilities at what is now Lakeland Regional Medical Center, the old Morrell Memorial Hospital was torn down in 1977. The original Morrell Hospital on Missouri Avenue still stands and is part of the St. Joseph Catholic Church campus.

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.