100 Years Ago: The Highlander of January 2, 1924

The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community. Each week the Lake Wales News will publish a front-page image of the former Lake Wales Highlander from 100 years earlier, tracking the growth of the community a century ago, when Florida was in the midst of a great land price boom and rapid population growth. The images are retrieved from the digital archives of the Lake Wales Public Library. The Lake Wales Highlander eventually became The Daily Highlander, and under several different names was published six times a week on Sunday mornings and Monday through Friday afternoons until 1995. The original Lake Wales News was a weekly broadsheet newspaper that also served the community for many decades, later changing to a tabloid format before closing six years ago. Lake Wales was among only a handful of small communities that supported two local newspapers, a mark of the level of literacy and community interest here.

The first Lake Wales community band was in its infancy in January of 1924, offering a concert on the grounds of the Crystal Lodge, a small community building on the shores of Crystal Lake on the site of the present library. The Crystal Lodge now stands several blocks south as part of the Lake Wales History Museum complex.

A December 31 vote has apparently resulted in the approval of voters to create the first Polk County hospital. Tate institution in Bartow existed until the early days of the 21st century.