^^x^55£:f^r^?^ ^."^ . "T^'^^^ xCROWN vJEWELOF TH^CENIC HIGH LAN pS iuv^^^ The "Velvet Highways" of Polk County Florida SHEET ASPHAIT ROADS RAILROADS POLK COUNTY Located about the center of the peninsula of Florida. Population, about 43,000. Area, 1,907 square miles. Land area, about 800,000 acres. Assessed valuation, about $19,000,000. Thirty towns in the county, all connected by railroad and county- wide system ot asphalt roads. A descriptive booklet of the county will be sent on application to the Lake Wales Board of Trade. ■t TrmamTtr DOT 8 \92\ ■)****K<*^^ J^a^e IVales "^^HE Crown Jewel of the Scenic Highlands," presents \^ herewith a brief and authentic resume ot the commercial, agricultural and industrial resources of the community, illus- trated with photographs that show the scenic beauty and progressive development. Lake Wales is not a tourist town, although many spend the winter season here. Rather it is a substantial all-year community, with a population around two thousand, and enjoying a steady, if not spectacular growth. Located on the Scenic Highlands automobile highway, which is now a State highway, over three hundred miles of perfect road is available to the motorist, and connecting Lake Wales with every town in Polk County without a break. Served bv the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Rail- way, its transportation and shipping facilities are adequately taken care of. l^a ^ ^ /3are Wales is modern and progressive, ^ with public utilities, business blocks, X^ the best of hotel accommodations, schools, churches and active civic organi- zations. It offers a home in a prosperous section where there is abundant opportunity to enjoy outdoor life and sport the vear round, together with agricultural and indus- trial opportunities without the hardships incidental to less favored sections of the country. From its setting in the hills, within two miles of the highest point in Florida, over- looking sparkling clear-water lakes, fringed with citrus-fruit groves. Lake Wales extends its invitation to you. 'Business Section Aside from the industries mentioned else- where in this booklet, Lake Wales presents an active commercial appearance thruout the vear. None ot the "oiT-season" appear- ance is in evidence. Lake Wales has a fine newspaper, modern theatre. Western L^nion telegraph office and several fine garages. Numerous handsome brick structures house department stores, drug stores, and, in short, every equipment ot a thoroly modern city. 'blinks /^ areWales can boast of two strongfinan- J cial institutions in the Lake Wales State ^^^ Bank and the new Citizens Bank of Lake Wales. The' Lake Wales State Bank is ably managed by leading citizens, their finan- cial resources at the close of business on the second day of April, ig2i, showing resources of nearly half a million dollars. The Citizens Bank of Lake Wales is a younger institution, occupying a new building, and with every modern equipment for the convenience ot its patrons. This bank is capitalized at fitty thousand dollars, with a surplus ot five thou- sand dollars, and is a member ot the Federal Reserve System. Excellent shipping and transportation service are provided by the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard. Two thru trains daily, both north and south, pass thru Lake Wales on the Atlantic Coast Line. One ol these has Pullman accommodation to and from Jacksonville and northern points. Both the Seaboard Air Line Railway and the .Atlantic Coast Line Railroad have regular passenger, mail, express and freight servMce. 'Jv*^'''m,|ll!s«v^'^i Qhurches The Methodists and Presbyterians have their own church buildings, while the Bap- tist and Christian churches, now holding services in the Masonic Hall and Theatre Building, are planning to build handsome edifices in the near future. Other denomi- nations are represented. Schools The public school building is a modern structure, built to provide adequate edu- cational features, in both Grammar and High School. The present enrollment is more than two hundred, with a splendid Stat!" of teachers. The building was designed and built under strictly sanitary ideas and principles, with ample light and air, and it is surrounded by most attractive grounds, with considerable elevation giving ample drainage facilities with plenty of beautiful trees where nature's shade is enjoyed beyond measure during the recrea- tion periods by the scholars attending. Health of all children in the public school is given particular attention by the authorities. Hotels Three modern hotels offer accommodations to the traveling public during the entire year. Being situated within a short distance of our lakes, guests can conveniently take advan- tage of boating and bathing, enjoy beautiful scenery, and be refreshed by the delightful breezes coming over the cool water. , Social Life The Woman's' Club of Lake Wales has a large membership, and is very active in social and civic life. The Masonic frater- nity, the Eastern Star and other organiza- tions are well represented. ^Amusements The Lake Wales Amusement Company has completed a theatre building of stucco with green tile trimmings, architecturally a thing of beauty, and most modern in its appointments. The playhouse has a seating capacity of four hundred, offering the best in motion-picture production, with orchestral concerts daily. An excellent lyceum coarse and a Radcliffe chautauqua are also provided. iglmtia^at»^^iv\- (T %.^:mXA:^ V i'^ii>'^' Cjolf Within the confines of Polk. County, and easily accessible from Lake Wales, there are a number of fine goH courses. Mountain Lake, within a few minutes' ride, has an eighteen-hole course noted thruout the coun- try as one of the finest. Lakeland High- lands, Florence Villa, Bartow, Highland Park, Crooked Lake Golf and Yacht Club, all have splendid courses. Fishing There are more than six hundred clear- water lakes in Polk County, many in or near Lake Wales. Abounding in game fish of many kinds, those who delight in following in the footsteps of Isaac Walton find this an ideal spot. Large-mouth bass, speckled perch, perch and bream are plentiful. Hunting This section of the State is so well known by the true sportsman that it is only neces- sary to dwell on this subject in a few words. Here is where game is plentiful and of wide variety. Ouail and other small game abound in limitless quantities, and the wild turkey and deer are plentiful but more in the outlying districts. Industries /3ake Wales does not depend alone on J citrus-fruit raising or perpetual harming ^^^_j for its development and progress. Industrially it has kept pace with the rapid strides made in other directions. Just out- side the city limits the Consolidated Crate and Lumber Company is completing a mil- lion-dollar crate and lumber mill. The saw- mill is of 50,000 feet capacity, with dry kiln and planing mill. Twelve thousand truit crates per day will be produced, and it will require two hundred and fifty men to keep the plant in operation. The Florida Ice and Power Company has for some time supplied light and power to Haines City, Frostproof and Avon Park, as well as home service. To extend the service to meet the demand this company has in- stalled an additional unit. All of the ma- chinery in the nevf power house is of latest improved design, representing an investment of half a million dollars. Practically every town in the "Scenic Highlands" receives its illumination from the "Crown Jewel", with service second to none in the large cities. li^s^,:; ^ir N |gigijyffi([f5[ The Lake Wales Citrus Growers' Asso- ciation, affiliated with the Florida Citrus Exchange, have a modern packing house. During the 1920-21 season 70,000 boxes of citrus fruits were packed and shipped to Northern markets. Many other industries and manufacturing plants are in operation. Qood Tioads The delight of the motorist in Polk Coun- ty's wonderful road system is but natural. Here one finds a network of wide asphalt- paved highways, connecting every city. A glance at the map will show Lake Wales, situated on the Scenic Highlands highway, where one can fully enjoy motoring without the inconvenience of mud; or dust to mar the wonderful vista presented from the tops of rolling hills. There are crystal clear lakes, fringed with groves, nestling in the valleys below. Lake Wales, itself, will soon have the best of paving, the City Council contemplat- ing nine additional miles of street improve- ment in the business and residential section. Qitrus T)evelopments In citrus-fruit production and grove de- velopment, Polk County leads the State, not only in the number of boxes of fruit shipped annually and acreage set to grove, but in quality and facilities for marketing. Prac- tically a million dollars is invested in modern packing houses thruout the county, insur- ing prompt and efficient handling. The Polk County branch of the Experiment Station of the United States Agricultural Department means much to those beginning in the citrus industry, while the county maintains an Agricultural Demonstration Agent for the purpose of assisting the new- comer in the proper methods of caring for a grove. In and around Lake Wales there are so many unusually large and important devel- opments of a co-operative nature that it is only possible to briefly mention a few of them. Within a five minutes' ride is Moun- tain Lake, one of the most beautiful and distinctive of all Florida developments. The I :';^AMMOTM GROVh. | ^•"i !l'„ Mountain Lake groves are unique in that not only are they being cared for in a way that will make them commercially profitable, but they are made a definite feature of the land- scaping. Sixty groves have been planted and sold, each containing approximately 625 trees. When the grove development is com- pleted, two thousand acres will be under citrus cultivation. The ownership ot property, either a home or a grove, is necessary to membership. The Mountain Lake club- house is conceded to be one of the finest in the South; the eighteen-hole golf course has a national reputation; tennis, fishing and hunting provide recreation and sport. Two miles east of Lake Wales is the dcr velopment of the Mammoth Grove Corpo- ration, where 4,600 acres of citrus trees are being planted, and cared for through a period of five years and delivered to a pur- chaser in five- and ten-acre tracts at a reason- able cost. These groves are located only a short distance from Lake Pierce, an immense lake, which tempers the winds as they sweep across its broad expanse, and furnishes pro- tection for the young citrus trees. Still further to the east is Templetown, the largest individual citrus grove in the world. Sixteen hundred acres are now being cleared, under fence and being planted as fast as nursery stock can be supplied. More than a million dollars is to be spent in this enter- prise, which is to be a strictly commercial proposition. Two miles to the south of Lake Wales, on the shore of Lake Easy, is Highland Park. This is a home and citrus proposition, de- veloped on a broad and comprehensive plan. A splendid golf course, modern clubhouse, children's playground, tennis courts, bath- ing beaches — all torm a part of life at High- land Park. The plan embraces the produc- tion of groves and the building of homes for mem.bers at cost. Lake Wales is the center of these and many other remarkable developments — conclusive evidence of the wonderful opportunities of this section — indicating what the future growth of the city will be. Qlimate Lake Wales has a distinct appeal to those who desire a home in a healthful climate devoid of extreme conditions winter or sum- mer. Those who live in the Northern and Western States, where the range of temper- ature is from 90 to 100 degrees in summer, and below zero in winter, find it hard to realize that in Florida the average variation will not exceed 40 degrees the year round and that in Lake Wales the temperature rarely exceeds 90 degrees during the sum- mer, or as low as 40 degrees in winter. The equable climate is due partly to the ocean and gulf breezes that almost constantly sweep the State, and partly to the tempering influence of the lakes. During the winter months many visitors find here the health- restoration that comes from outdoor living in the Florida sunshine. Those who stay thruout the summer find the days pleasant and the nights delightful and refreshing. Government statistics pertaining to this sec- tion, and covering a period of twenty-five years, will prove of interest: Average Mean Average Mean . ., Maximum Minimum 'V^'="«"= ''^"" Temperature Temperature Temperature April 80.2 61.4 70.8 May 85.7 67.2 76.4 June 88.6 71.5 80.0 July 89.1 73.2 81. 1 August 89.2 73.5 81.3 September 88.0 71.8 79.9 With Nature combining sunshine and showers; with the golden fruit ripening thru- out tall, winter and spring; with strawberries at Christmas time and plant life never dor- mant, one might well sav that here there is no winter or summer. Homes One of the impressive features is the num- ber of attractive and modern homes, with a building program that many a larger city might well envy. Several residential devel- opments offer homesites as desirable as can be found in Florida. The homes of Lake Wales are not only substantial in appearance but are most attrac- tive in design and general architecture, built for beauty as well as comfort. Here we have the small but attractive bungalow where one is most comfortable, to the large and more commodious homes with a wide variety of ideas and tastes so well displayed. Even a casual glance on this and other pages will easily convince the reader that this section of the State can well boast of many elaborate and substantial homes that would be a credit to any city of this size; yes, and many times larger. Nature, too, has been unusually kind in pro- viding shade and beauty in this the residential section. Stately shade trees, the graceful sub- tropical palm, the tall and massive pine, all tend to form a beautiful and substantial back- ground to the picture, all of which cannot but be admired by those who are fortunate enough ^^grtt^.^^^^. ^nflrii » t to reside here and our welcome \'isitors as well. Here, too, individual and civic pride is so gen- erously displayed. One resident tries to out- do his neighbor in beautifying the grounds surrounding the number of homes here, and the rivalry is keen. What with attractive streets, paved sidewalks, well-kept lawns, wonderful foliage and beautiful flowers, here we have a combination tor the eye to feast upon from most every angle. Then, too, there is chance for such wonderful growth and future development of Lake Wales, ample room for the extension of the city's limits. What must be the futm-e of a city so situated? Surely there can be but one answer — and that is that this immediate section, "The Crown Jewel of The Scenic Highlands," has be- fore it a period of growth such that her sister cities must stand by and watch with envy. There seems to be a wonderful spirit of co- operation and one object in view — that of pro- gressiveness and of moving forward, which will ultimately make this city what it is destined to be, where wealth, happiness and prosperity shall reign, and good-will toward our fellow man shall ultimately draw to our gates a citizenship of which any community will be justly proud. It has been said that Lake Wales is the city of beautiful homes, and because of the numer- ous splendid dwellings in its residential districts, many permanent settlers have been attracted to the community to cast their life's lot with a new and rapidly growing town in the high- lands ot scenic Florida. There are bungalows with shingled sides and red-tiled roofs, attractive because of their vary- ing oddities. Broad verandas encircle their fronts and cement sidewalks lead from their entrances to tree-bordered streets. There are simple and complex bungalows, single and double bungalows, storv-and-a-half bungalows and apartments with bungalow fronts. And there are the more imposing homes with colonial columns and mathematicallv-gabled roofs. A city pride that has a place in the hearts of Lake Wales people prompts them to beautify their premises, and the same spirit possessed by city authorities keeps the streets in keeping with the beautiful grounds that surround most Lake Wales homes. Window boxes filled with growing things brighten long apartment house facades. Parks and playgrounds afford breathing spaces in the more thickly populated centers of the town. Public beaches and bathing pools take the place of the old-time country swimming hole. Vegetable and flower gardens are becoming as common on forty-toot city lots as in the out- lying areas. Happiness lies in Lake Wales and nowhere is it more in evidence than in her homes that line the avenues ot the incorporation and ex- tend far into the suburban territories. Ill I Jl II ^^HIS BOOKLET has been written and illustrated with a view ^y oi presenting Lake Wales and the surrounding territory just as vou will find it when you visit this wonderful section. No attempt has been made to elaborate, but rather every statement made has been more than conservative. It would require no gifted writer to pen a word-picture that might seem but a wild flight ot fancy yet no man has ever described the natural beauty of the Scenic Highlands as it truly is. This is simply a medium through which the beauties and the vvondertul opportunities of this section ot Florida shall be presented to the interested public. Would space have allowed it would have been well to have called attention to Lake Wales, giving a history oi this community Irom the time when no man had entered here other than to satisfv the hunter's desire to kill deer and turkey, to fish in these quiet lakes, and to camp and while awav a few days in a "Fairy Land" apart trom the busy turmoil of social and business activity. How pleasant it is to recall the scenes of the past, make comparisons with the present, and then view ahead into the future and form a mental picture as to what may be in store for this wonderful section of Florida, if we grasp the opportunities within reach, and use energy, good judgment and co-operation. The mission of this booklet has been accomplished if we have con- veyed to you an idea of our develop- ment, our resources, and our natural advantages. The investor, the home- seeker, the tourist, all will find offered the opportunity to live profitably, happilv and healthfully in an ideal climate. The rolling hills, gemmed with many sparkling fresh- water lakes; large tracts of pine and oaks; thousands of acres of beautiful and productive orange and grapefruit groves, the fragrance of the blossoms pervading the air; the fruit ever ripening; fishing, hunting, golf; a land where growing things are always green — in such a setting Lake Wales, "Crown Jewel of The Scenic Highlands," awaits the opportunity to greet you. FLORIDA Showing distances from Lake Wales, by automobile, to the principal towns in the State: Miles Bartow . l8 Davtona . . 126 Ft. Myers . . 125 Haines City . . 18 Jacksonville . 240 Lakeland • • 30 Miami • • 253 Orlando . . . <;8 St. Petersburs : . . 114 St. Augustine 200 Tampa . 61 West Palm B each . 186 Winter Haver 1 . 18 WC5T PAtM WP*lM beachI?! I seaCM Thf Record Company^ St. Jtigttstirje^ Fla m\ LAKE WALES LAKE WALES O R I D A F L O R I DA kt%~ t. ^'i^'