Frances Langford of Lakeland Wrote a Column From the Front Lines
Lakeland’s Frances Langford toured with Bob Hope in World War II and wrote a newspaper column about the wounded men she met. It became a book and a 1951 film.
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George Jenkins: The Grocery Clerk Who Built Publix and Gave It to His Employees
In 1930, a 22-year-old quit his job at Piggly Wiggly and opened his own store next door in Lakeland. George Jenkins built Publix into the largest employee-owned company in America.
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Spring Training: Every February, Half of Major League Baseball Moves to Florida
Every February, 15 Major League Baseball teams move to Florida for the Grapefruit League. For six weeks, small-town ballparks become the center of the baseball universe.
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Walkin’ Lawton: 1,003 Miles from Pensacola to Key West
In 1970, a Lakeland lawyer walked 1,003 miles from Pensacola to Key West to win a Senate seat. Lawton Chiles never stopped walking or fighting for the state he loved.
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Edward Scissorhands: The Tim Burton Classic Filmed in a Real Florida Subdivision
Tim Burton did not build a set for Edward Scissorhands. He found the perfect pastel suburb in Central Florida, and you can still visit the neighborhood today.
