Ever wonder about the history behind some of Lakeland’s streets? Sure, some are a little obvious (it doesn’t take a historian to deduce that Martin Luther King Jr. was named after the civil rights reverend, himself).
Others, though, aren’t so straightforward. Don’t believe us? Test your street knowledge with a quick pop quiz.
Quiz
East Main Street
East Main Street: The building that now houses the Lakeland Fire Department Administrative offices was once a Coca Cola Bottling Plant. When constructed in 1936, the company contained the most modern equipment – machines which could bottle up to 90 bottles a minute.
Bay Street
Bay Street: In 1925, the Studebaker Building was erected to be used as an auto repair garage and sales showroom. It once also housed the Crescent Club, an active social group. The Studebaker Building was rehabilitated in 1993 and now sits as antique + art shops.
North Kentucky Ave: On the right of this iconic street, you can see The Kibler Hotel – later named The Thelma Hotel. On the left of this photo are the trees that aligned Munn Park. And way in the distance, check out the “Welcome Arch” for Civil War veterans.
South Kentucky Avenue
South Kentucky Avenue: The Casino, (later named The Palace Theatre) was one of the city’s earliest full-size movie theaters. Built in 1913, it was part of the Thelma Hotel, which extended south along Kentucky Avenue to Lemon Street. The hotel burned in 1962 leaving only the theater building standing.
South Massachusetts Avenue
South Massachusetts Avenue: Construction began on the New Florida Hotel building but after completion, the building quickly closed after the collapse of the Florida land boom, not reopening until 1935. It flourished until the 1960s when it fell prey to changing travel habits and competition from suburban motels. The renovated building reopened in 2005 as Lake Mirror Tower.
Hollingsworth Road
Hollingsworth Road: Probably one of the most well-known stories, the name Hollingsworth was named after John Hollingsworth, one of the first known settlers who moved his family near the lake. The 20-mile neutral zone separating the Seminole reservation from settlers was supposed to be patrolled by the army to keep people from traveling too far south. But the army didn’t have enough soldiers to secure a boundary 20-miles wide. So, Hollingsworth took advantage of the law and decided to move in on the not-so-secure land anyway.
Bartow Road
Bartow Road: Ever wonder how old the cemetery on Bartow is? Answer: Very. The municipal cemetery includes the grave of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Joseph Edward Hendricks, who was born in Lake Butler in 1934.
