Lakeland’s 2023 History Lecture Series

Calling all history buffs — the Lakeland Public Library’s History and Culture Center is hosting a free lecture series, and here’s what you should know.

The Lakeland History Room

Step inside the Lakeland History Room to meet with expert historians.

Photo by LALtoday

If you’re anything like us, you love Lakeland history. Luckily for you, the Lakeland History and Culture Center is hosting a History Lecture Series this spring, featuring four expert speakers.

Without further ado, mark your calendars for the following lectures to learn more about Lakeland’s history and some of its major players:

🏘 Communities of the Kathleen Area | Wednesday, Jan. 25 | Hear from historian and author Lois Sherrouse-Murphy, a past president of the Kathleen Area Historical Association, about the Kathleen community’s early residents.

🚂 Henry Bradley Plant: Unexpected Friends, Long-Forgotten Dreams & Surprising Twists and Turns | Thursday, Feb. 23 | Author and Florida historian Dr. Canter Brown, Jr. will educate the public on the “King of Florida” — Henry Plant, known for putting Lakeland on the map with a stop on his railroad.

🧊 We Freeze to Please — The Lakeland Ice House | Thursday, March 30 | Come chill with William Lloyd Harris, an author and local historian, to learn more about the Lakeland Ice House.

🎖 Buffalo Soldiers — Those Men That Came Before | Thursday, April 20 | Historian, re-enactor, and president for Buffalo Soldiers Florida, Inc., Richard Wilder, will explore the history behind the Buffalo Soldiers, who were recently memorialized in Veterans Memorial Park.

All events take place in the Lakeland Public Library’s Lakeland History Room (100 Lake Morton Dr.) from 5:30-7 p.m. The series is free, and no registration is required.