Communication Builds Our Community

100 Years Ago: The Lake Wales Highlander

Series: This Week in History | Story 24

Courtesy Lake Wales LIbrary Archives

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.

Among stories making the front page of the Highlander 100 years ago was a report on the progress of the new State Road 8 which was planned to run to Palm Beach through Okeechobee. The "Conners Highway" is named after the man who was advancing $200,000 towards the project, which was hoped would eventually include a bridge over the Kissimmee River, replacing the ferry that was in temporary use. The road was expected to be in "passable" condition by later that year.

Courtesy Lake Wales LIbrary Archives

Mules were still very much in demand to assist in the new citrus groves around the Lake Wales area in 1924.

 

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