Floridiana Magazine

History. Heritage. Home.

Pioneer Park, Zolfo Springs

Growing up in the country gives you a chance to experience “old Florida” every day.  Backroads replace highways.  Rivers and lakes replace the “concrete pond” and parks become the playground of choice.

One such park sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and State Road 64 in Zolfo Springs in Hardee County – Pioneer Park.  Encompassing more than 115 acres, Pioneer Park offers a little something for everyone – from nature lovers to history buffs.

Peace River through Pioneer Park

The picturesque Peace River meanders 107 miles from just northeast of Bartow at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek and to Charlotte Harbor in Port Charlotte.  Along the way it cuts through Hardee County and Pioneer Park, offering opportunities for lazy days of kayaking or canoeing.  Peace River is also a favorite hotspot for fossil hunters – both experienced and novice.

Kayaking on Peace River

Campers can pitch their tents or park their RVs and wake up to beautiful views, not just of the river but also other wildlife. There are two lakes in the park – Rock Lake and Pioneer Lake.  Rock Lake sits just off the river and serves as a favorite fishing spot, not to mention a hangout for a gator or two.

Camping along Rock Lake at Pioneer Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Rock Lake residents

Pioneer Lake is near the entertainment area at the park and besides also being a fishing hole, it is home to wildlife whether they are in plain view or hidden along the shore.

Pioneer Lake

Pioneer Lake

Hardee County Wildlife Refuge at Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park is also home to a wildlife refuge.  Located on Animal Way, visitors can walk along the boardwalk and get a glimpse of native wild animals in a natural habitat. Although it has been closed due to damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017, all but the bear exhibit is now open.

Old Pool House at Pioneer Park

An old pool house once served as the hub of activity at the park, offering up snacks and drinks for those who spent their weekends swimming or just hanging out at the pool.  Built in the 1930s, the pool was part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and provided decades of fun to the area. It’s safe to say that many children who grew up in Hardee County learned to swim at the pool (myself included). Unfortunately, it was forced to close in the 1970s because of large cracks in the concrete.  The building now serves as a venue for birthdays and other events.  There is little evidence there was ever a pool here.

The site of the old pool

Cracker Trail Museum

For history buffs, the Cracker Trail Museum provides a look at pioneer life in Hardee County through more than 4,000 items, including photographs, farm implements, and household objects.  A separate area showcases a collection of old fossils and bones found along the Peace River. Many artifacts have been donated by local residents.

Pioneer Park Museum | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Pioneer Village

Step outside and into the Pioneer Village, an offshoot of the museum. The village began to take shape after the donation of a cane grinding shed and kettle, just one of several donations from residents of the county.

Another addition to the village was a 1914 wood burning Baldwin Locomotive Engine #3 (also known as the Loping Gopher).  It was donated in 1967 by K.D. Revell, who used it as his crate mill in Wauchula.  Recently repainted, this majestic engine can be seen from Highway 17 and State Road 64.

Train on display at Pioneer Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

The C.A. Bryant Blacksmith Shop was moved to the park and reconstructed next to the museum itself.  Clarence Alvin Bryant operated the shop in Bowling Green from 1897 until his death in 1953. The blacksmith shop houses many of the original tools and implements used by the Bryant family.

C.A. Bryant Blacksmith Shop

Old farm implement

One of the hallmarks to the Pioneer Village is the Hart Cabin.  Built in 1879 by William Henry and Mary Jane Hart, the cabin was originally located in the Lemon Grove section of Hardee County.  It is one section of the original house where the Harts raised seven children. The cabin was donated to the park in 1979 by Hart’s great-grandson Wendell Smith. Enclosed cases outside of the cabin provide snapshots of the Hart’s pioneer life.  Visitors to Pioneer Village can also take a look at an old outhouse that sits behind the Hart Cabin, as well as an old shed and the Cracker Trail Post Office.

Hart Cabin | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Outhouse | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Post Office at Pioneer Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Pioneer Park Days (Pioneer Festival)

**Note: Pioneer Park Days (Pioneer Festival) has been discontinued.

The biggest event of the year at the park is held the first weekend of March. Pioneer  Pioneer Park Days started as a show for antique tractors and gasoline engines with about 50 people in attendance and soon grew into one of the largest events in the area.  Over the years, not only did the show include tractors and engines, but also antique cars, a flea market, Civil War Re-enactment, and a visit by the Budweiser Clydesdales. Park Days underwent a name change In 2023 to Pioneer Festival.

Newspaper Insert 1990 – Herald Advocate A bandshell was built to provide a larger area for entertainment and a postal station added to the event to provide a special philatelic cancellation stamp for anything mailed out of the park.

Entertainment Bandshell

FM Note:  For more than 50 years, Pioneer Park Days (Pioneer Festival)  provided a fun weekend for Hardee County residents and has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the country.  (I grew up attending Pioneer Park Days with my Dad as coordinator from 1978 – 1992).

George Collins, Coordinator of Pioneer Park Days 1978 – 1992 (My Dad!)

Nostalgia aside, Pioneer Park introduces visitors to the Park’s beauty and everything it has to offer.

Homeland Heritage Park

As housing developments and retail spaces continue to pop up around the state, more and more of old Florida is disappearing under the guise of progress.  Fortunately, some communities are preserving parts of their past.

Just outside of Bartow, in the small community of Homeland, sits the only historical park in Polk County. Homeland Heritage Park is a five-acre park with original buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Most of them were donated to the county and moved to the park for visitors to see for years to come.

Homeland School

The Homeland School (once known as Bethel Academy) is the oldest surviving school in the county (built in 1878) and sits in its original location.  Although the original building was only one room, a growing student population necessitated the addition of another room in 1888.

A peek inside the windows reveals a typical classroom of the time period – a teacher’s desk, old wooden chairs, long tables, a chalkboard and pianos.  It was in this room that students were taught lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and manners.  More than 75 students once attended the Homeland School, until its closure in 1956.

In 1985, the school and property were donated to the Polk County Board of County Commissioners and in 2007 was placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

Homeland Methodist Church

During the 1800s, churches served as more than just places for religious services.  They were also the cornerstone of the community and served as the place for social gatherings. In the Homeland community, the Methodist Church was one of those places.


Originally known as Bethel Methodist Church, it dates back to 1878 and was said to be a simple wooden structure that did not have any lights or windows. That old building was replaced by the Homeland Methodist Church in 1887.

One of the features that stands out when looking at this church is the towering steeple.  The original steeple was destroyed by a hurricane in 1946, and was replaced by one made of aluminum.

Another striking feature is the stain glass windows, uncommon for a country church.  Looking through the windows, you can see their brilliant colors shining into the sanctuary.

The church was donated in 1986 and was moved from just off the park property to its current location.

Pole Barn

While the church was the heart of the community, the pole barn was the center of daily life. This outbuilding was the hub of work on the farm.  It was used to store farming equipment and served as shelter for farm animals.

A walk around the barn provides a glimpse into the strenuous daily work.  Farm equipment and an old carriage on display inside the barn are a far cry from the mechanized equipment used today.

Homeland Houses

Visitors to the Homeland Heritage Park can get a glimpse of two different styles of living in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  One of the homes on display is a single-pen log cabin, a single room cabin with a door and a few windows. It was built by Cornelius and James “Jackson” English in 1888 and used as a family residence until the early 1900s.

The wrap around porch was an important part of the cabin and was often the location where daily chores were done.  Sometimes families even slept outside on the porch because it was cooler than inside. The cabin was used by the English family until 1989, when it was donated to the Homeland Heritage Park.

A second residence on park property represented the more affluent pioneers.  The Raulerson House, built in 1900, originally sat at what is now the intersection of County Line Road and Interstate 4 on the west side of Lakeland. It never had running water or indoor plumbing.  The story on the sign at the park says the Raulerson family and the five children lived downstairs in the house, while their grove foreman and his family lived on the second floor.

The Raulersons lived in the house until 1912 and it remained in the family until 1987, when it was donated and moved to the Homeland Heritage Park.

Other Buildings and Park Features

 Two other buildings at the Homeland Heritage Park serve as the park office and the park annex building.  Both were original buildings from the Methodist Church.

A garden, an old cemetery and an outhouse are also part of the exhibit.

What is unique about this park is that the buildings on display are all original buildings once used or lived in within the county. Rather than tearing them down to make room for newer structures, they were donated to the county by their owners and moved to this location.  Homeland Heritage Park is an example other communities could follow to preserve their own history.

Floridiana Magazine (FM) Notes:

The park is open every day to allow visitors the opportunity to take a step back in time and walk through an early community.  You cannot go inside the buildings unless you call to schedule a tour.  The office is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.