You may have heard about Lakeland’s original rival town, Acton, and the mysterious fire that claimed its rail depot, but did you know that shortly after that, Lakeland became a railroad hotspot in Central Florida?
By the 1890s — just five years after the town’s incorporation — the Lakeland Subdivision saw around 25 trains passing through the depot per day. While other towns popped up and faded with the rising and setting sun, Lakeland’s active rail yards kept it on the map.
By 1893, the city of Lakeland’s Munn Park area + surrounding rail yards had become a well-known, integral area for Florida’s shipping industry. Did you know? Between 1910 and 1950, the Winston and Bone Valley Railroad was responsible for ~50% of phosphate shipped in Florida.
While our railroad culture has dwindled over the years, the railroad industry will always be a core component of Lakeland’s history. Pro tip: Explore it further in Bonnet Springs Park’s
History Gallery, located in the upstairs of the Welcome Center.
