Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland is so named because of the 19 lakes within city limits.

Unlike many of Florida’s newer communities, which have sprung up almost overnight as a result of fast-paced growth, Lakeland is a centennial city, offering a sense of place and heritage to counterbalance pressures from growth and sprawl.

Located between two major urban areas – Tampa Bay and Orlando – Lakeland enjoys the quality of life characteristics of smaller cities, while affording easy access and the amenities of larger metropolitan areas. Lakeland's current permanent population estimate as of December 2002 is 87,160 residents. Lakeland is a unique blend of business, culture and recreation. Lakeland possesses some of Florida’s most picturesque scenery, with swan-filled lakes, towering oaks and historic architecture, including the world’s largest one-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings at Florida Southern College.

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.

One activity that is very attractive to the natives of Florida is Air boating. Airboats are flat-bottomed boats that are powered by an aircraft engine and propeller. The engine, prop and seats are mounted high on the boat to raise the center of gravity so that the boat will skim over the surface rather than having to push it's way through the water.  The ideal trail for an airboat is a couple of inches of water over a sandy bottom, but they are not restricted to that. They can go over grassy plains, through mucky swamps, on deep water, and over totally dry ground...for a ways.

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