Lakeland, Polk County, Florida Genealogy

Guide to Lakeland, Polk County ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Quick Facts
Lakeland was first settled in the 1870s and began to develop as the rail lines reached the area in 1884. It was incorporated 1 January 1885. The town was founded by Abraham Munn (a resident of Louisville, Kentucky), who purchased 80 acres (320,000 m2) of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 and platted the land for the town in 1884. Among the names considered (and rejected) for the town by its residents were Munnville, Red Bug and Rome City.

African-Americans

 * Professor W. A. Rochelle
 * African American Heritage and History in Lakeland
 * Jackson C. Longworth

Archives and Libraries

 * Lakeland Public Library

Biographies

 * Ulysses A. Lightsey

Cemeteries

 * All Saints Episcopal Church 202 South Massachusetts Avenue Lakeland, FL‎ Findagrave.com
 * Carpenters Home Findagrave.com
 * Collins Findagrave.com
 * First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive Lakeland, FL 33801 Findagrave.com
 * First United Methodist Church Columbarium Findagrave.com
 * Florida Presbyterian Homes Memorial Gardens Findagrave.com
 * Gapway Findagrave.com
 * Griffin Findagrave.com Established 1868 on land donated by James A. Chapman in 1865
 * Lakeland Memorial Gardens Findagrave.com 2125 S Bartow Road Lakeland, FL 33801
 * Lakeview Findagrave.com
 * Mount Tabor 3504 Mt. Tabor Road Lakeland, FL Findagrave.com
 * New Home Baptist Church Polk County FLGenWeb Project Inc Findagrave.com
 * Oak Hill Burial Park 4620 Hwy 98 S Lakeland, FL 33810Findagrave.com
 * Presbyterian Church in The Highlands 1010 Lake Miriam Dr Lakeland, FL 33813 Findagrave.com (note: small Memorial Garden with small plots for interring ashes of loved ones. You must go in the church to view position of plots)
 * Roselawn Polk County FLGenWeb Project, Inc Findagrave.com
 * Socrum also known as Bethel Baptist 3125 W. Socrum Loop Road Lakeland, Fl 33809 The church started about 1845, the cemetery began shortly thereafter. Polk County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc Interment.net Findagrave.com
 * Serenity Gardens also known as Trinity Memorial Gardens Findagrave.com
 * Stephenson Findagrave.com
 * Tiger Flowers Findagrave.com

Baptist

 * First Baptist (Southern Baptist Convention) A historic sketch: celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the First Baptist Church, Lakeland, Florida, 1885-1945 Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Minutes, membership 1897-1948  Minutes, membership 1948-1963

Episcopal

 * St. David's Episcopal Church records, 1953-1993 Baptisms, burials, marriages, 1953-1993 Communicants and confirmations St. David's history, May 16, 1953 - May 16, 1993

Directories

 * 1915-1916: Lakeland, with Auburndale, Bartow, Ft. Meade, Kathleen, Mulberry and Winter Haven
 * 1925: Bartow, with Auburndale, Babson Park, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Mulberry and Winter Haven
 * 1925: Winter Haven, with Auburndale, Babson Park, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Lakeland and Mulberry (R. L. Polk) (note: there is no film break between Winter Haven and Bartow)
 * 1928: Bartow, with Auburndale, Fort Meade, Haines City, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Mulberry, Winter Haven and others

History

 * Mosswood Remembered
 * First Families of Polk County, Florida
 * Lightsey Family Polk County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc
 * Whiddon / Whidden Early History

Newspapers
The Lakeland Ledger

Obituaries

 * Doyle Lightsey
 * Norman Alpheus Riggins family

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Bartow Historical Library, Bartow, Fl.

Lakeland Florida Family History Center