Having worked with -- and been part of -- several Chambers of Commerce over the years, I can…read morehonestly say that the N.E. Polk Chamber of Commerce has been outstanding in its support of local businesses and community members. It is also worth especially mentioning Edee, Lara, and Julie once again for their professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine commitment to helping local businesses grow and connect within the community. Their support and positive energy truly make a difference.

Edee, Lana, and Julie are all very kind and supportive chamber of commerce staff members that are…read morewelcoming and you can see their love for helping the community and our local businesses. I went in today for the new member packet for our local roofing company, Roof Top Experts, and they provided great information on helping boost our local presence and highly recommend joining the CoC as a member to help out your business. Thank you to Haines City for providing great resources and we are here to happily help with any Polk County roofing services like roof repairs and roof replacements. Providing the same great service that these Chamber Ladies provide us!

Pleasantly surprised! I visited the downtown area. Not sure why but I always thought Lakeland was…read morevery country and nothing around. Not the case! This little downtown area was so cute and bustling! Great non chain restaurants and stores. We also visited the circle b bar reserve and wow!!! By far the best nature bike yet! Beautiful scenery, lakes, trees, wildlife, and more. It was definitely memorable and was a good reminder to not put it past small cities to find hidden gems!

My first time in lakeland. The part of lake I was In...... Really nice the people were friendly…read more The was a farmer's street market going on. I stopped in a few shops the people are nice. I would definitely go back and spend a day exploring around there

As a fan of architecture and history I had to stop and check out this gem while I was traveling…read morethrough Aburndale, Florida. Once owned by Ephraim Mikell Baynard, this historic home brimming with charm. The first settlers arrived in Aburndale in the 1870's and 1880's to take advantage of natural resources and prime cattle grazing land. The town experienced more growth when Henry Plant's South Florida Railroad laid track in the area in the area in the early 1880's connecting Polk County with a larger regional economic market. In 1884 the town received a train depot and post office and the community of Auburndale continued to grow. Ephraim Mikell Baynard was born in South Carolina in 1861. In 1888 he settled in Auburndale, on the south side of Lake Stella. Baynard proved to be a savvy business man and he owned a general store and worked as a developer, cattle rancher, citrus and tomato farmer, and owner of a turpentine factory. In 1889 Baynard married Nettie Lee Brooks after she came to the area to escape an outbreak of yellow fever in Key West. The couple had two daughters Ruth and Elizabeth. In 1894 he built a stately, L shaped, two-story, wooden Folk Victorian home designed by Alfred Chipman Thorpe. The home was located just north of downtown Auburndale business district. The house has a dining room and two parlors downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. A highlight of the home is a spindlework porch that wraps around the front of the house. Baynard's family lived in the home until 1913 as the fledgling town of Auburndale sprouted up around them. By 1951 the house had been chopped into five apartments, each with its own bathroom and kitchen and it teetered on demolition as city officials wanted the site for a parking lot. A group of students from Auburndale High School, led by guidance counselor Bonnie Burhans, stepped in to save the home. Over the next 5 years hundreds of students worked to restore the home uncovering heart pine flooring, oak fireplace mantles, handcrafted door and window frames, and century-old glass. The City of Auburndale now owns the home and it was turned into museum in 1997. The house has period furnishings including some owned by the Baynard family. After the Baynard house was restored it set off a wave pf preservation that also saw the restoration of the City Hall and the train depot with other buildings following. The Baynard House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 2001. Ephraim Mikell Baynard was designated a Great Floridian by the Florida Department of State in the Great Floridians 2000 Program.

This marker stands in Bartow Civic Plaza and points out the history of this small Central Florida…read morecity. The front reads, "Settlement of the City of Bartow began in 1850 with the arrival of James D. and Eliza W. Green. In 1851, the Blount family, led by patriarch Readding Blount, settled near the site and eventually purchased the Green homestead. This site would become the homestead for members of the Blount extended family and twelve enslaved persons forming the earliest pioneer community at what was then known as Peas Creek. "The Third Seminole War (1855-1858) brought renewed uncertainty to the growing community. Families sought safety in numbers prompting the construction of a block house at the Blount family homestead, leading to the area being known as Fort Blount. "During the American Civil War, the post office at Fort Blount was named Bartow in recognition of war veteran Francis S. Bartow (C.S.A). In 1866, wealthy cattle baron, Jacob Summerlin donated 120 acres of his land in Bartow for public use. Summerlin's land grant included 40 acres for a courthouse, establishing Bartow as the seat of government for Polk County." And the reverse, "On July 1, 1882. twenty-two male residents of the community, both black and white, voted to incorporate the City of Bartow. These residents adopted a city seal to include the Latin phrase, "Rus In Irbe" which was later rewritten to "Urbs in Rure" meaning "town in the country." 1882 Incorporation Voters: F.F. Beville, S.C. Cochran, W P. Ferrell, J.F. Gatlin, C.C. Gresham, G.A. Hanson, D.K. Hodges, D. Hughes, J. Humphries, P. Johnson, J.M. Lewis, L. Lytle, T. Mimms, P. Moore, S. Newman, T.C. Pearce, W.H. Pearce, E.S. Roden, G.W. Smith, J. Snoddy, T. Tucker, F. Wilson." This is marker number PCHC-039 and it was erected in 2024 by The City of Bartow Polk County Historical Commission. There is plenty of street parking nearby. [Review 1614 of 2025 - 2191 in Florida - 25162 overall]

I discovered this historical marker in front of the Osceola County Courthouse. Dating back to 1888,…read moreit is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Florida. The Romanesque Revival style courthouse opened in 1890 and it was listed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The marker relates the history of Osceola County when it was created in 1887 from portions of Orange and Brevard Counties. Osceola became Florida's 40th county. It was Senator J. Milton Bryan who suggested the new county be named for Osceola, in honor of a Seminole warrior who adopted a name that translated to "black drink crier." Osceola led several small but successful raids against the U.S. army over 10 years. Osceola was captured on December 31, 1837, and died one month later at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. Osceola is the sixth largest county in Florida and Kissimmee is the county seat. In the late 19th century it was a transportation hub for riverboats and the railroad. Osceola County is known for its long history of raising cattle. Cattle, agriculture, and tourism are now the main industries. Marker number F-340 was installed in front of the Osceola County Courthouse in 1983 by the Kissimmee Business and Professional Women's Club.

This is the old 1914 Plant High School building. It's pretty cool and part of a lovely historic…read moredistrict with gorgeous homes. The rail museum and mall along McCall Park downtown are also fun to walk.

The 1924 Caldwel-Temple Building is a 12,736 foot office building located in the commercial…read morehistoric downtown district of Lake Wales. This area of the downtown contains many examples of buildings from Florida's land boom years in the 1920's. This is an example of a two story building has three parts. In the 1920's the building contained the Draper Furniture Company, a casket manufacturer, and a Masonic lodge. At the time it was built it was the largest building in Lake Wales. In 1999 the building was purchased by the Jahna company that manufactures concrete roof tile. Jahna had ties to Lake Wales because it was where the company founder Emil Jahna Sr. brought his family in 1925 from Sarasota, Florida to open Ridge Stone and Tile. At first they operated out of a three room house remodeled into an office in 1961. In 1980 they built a larger office next to the original corporate location on Tillman Avenue where they operated for the next 20 years. In 1999 the Jahna Company purchased the Caldwell-Temple Building building, renamed it the Jahna building, restored it with help from the Lake Wales historical Society, and made it their corporate office. In 2001 E.R. Jahna moved their offices to the building.

History can be found all around you if you take the time to stop, look, and read. I discovered this…read moremoving memorial depicting a dark time in WWII history. You can find it in Lakeside Park in Kissimmee. The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial honors all of those who served in the Philippines in World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan moved into the Philippines. The sculpture depicts three figures on the Bataan Death March which began on April 10, 1942 with the fall of Corregidor Island and the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese. A total of 76,000 American and Filipino soldiers were marched by the Japanese 65 miles north of the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell. During the march the soldiers were denied food, water, and rest. By the end of the war only 4,000 Americans had survived. The sculpture features a Filipino woman offering water to a desperate American and Filipino soldier on the march. On the 50th anniversary of the Bataan Death, former Kissimmee City Commissioner Richard Herring and resident Menandro de Mesa spearheaded the formation of the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation in a partnership with the City of Kissimmee. Private donations were gathered and ground for the memorial was broken April 9, 1994, the 52nd anniversary of the fall of Bataan. The Bataan - Corregidor Memorial was sculpted by artist Sandra M. Storm, a renowned artist with multiple large commissions to her credit including "The Courage to Challenge" in Vierra, FL, "Called to Serve" in Hillsboro, KS, and "Melody of Arts" in Panama City, FL. Her work is featured in major collections throughout the country. Of her work she has said " "I think my major strength as a sculptor is the intensity of my involvement in what I create in bronze and the emotional impact my sculptures have on those who view them. Teaching sculpture for many years has also showed me how art can change lives, especially of children and the elderly." The Bataan - Corregidor memorial was completed and dedicated on May 20, 1995. The ceremony included a wreath laying, and keynote speeches from Philippine Brigadier General Tagumpay Nanadiego and retired United States General Bruce Holloway. The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial has become the location of annual reunions of veterans and it is the centerpiece of the annual Filipino-American Friendship Day Festival.