Floridiana Magazine

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What to Do in Lake Wales, Florida

Known as the Crown Jewel of the Ridge, Lake Wales sits in the center of the state, just off Highway 27 and State Road 60. With its historic roots, its quirky qualities, and its persona of a small city with a hometown atmosphere, Lake Wales is a true Floridiana find.  Whether you are taking a trip into downtown, visiting the tower on the hill, or participating in any number of festivals and celebrations, nostalgia and culture abound.

Lake Wales History

Lake Wales was first settled in 1911 by a group of businessmen known as the Lake Wales Land Company.  These individuals purchased 5,000 acres around Lake Wailes, named after land agent Sidney Wailes. The Lake Wales Land Company saw the property as ripe for a turpentine and lumber industry, as well as growing citrus crops.

Lake Wailes

By the time Lake Wales was incorporated in 1917, it was already on its way to becoming a thriving town, with a school, some paved roads, and a newspaper.

Part of the charm of Lake Wales is its downtown area which is recognized as a National Historic District.  A walk around town reveals evidence of the old charm. Informational signs are strategically located to provide information about the area and the numerous buildings restored to the splendor of the 1920s and 30s.

City of Murals

Another way to enjoy the history of Lake Wales is through the 21 murals scattered throughout downtown.  The earliest mural was painted in 1942 and hangs inside the lobby of the Post Office on West Park Avenue.  Harvest Time Lake Wales measures 14 feet by 5 feet and depicts the area’s citrus industry.  A second indoor mural is at the Lake Wales Public Library and portrays animals that are native to the area in their natural environment.  The library mural was painted by Tom Freeman, who also painted many of the other murals around town.  Freeman, a former teacher, is also the subject of a mural funded and painted by his students.

Tom Freeman Recognition Mural

Another local artist, Lisa Moore, has not only painted some of the murals, but was also commissioned to do restoration work on some of the older murals around town.  On one of our visits, we found Lisa working on the Downtown City Mural on East Stuart Avenue.

The Lake Wales murals are part of a statewide trail that connects mural towns with mural enthusiasts. A map of the murals’ locations, as well as descriptions about them can be found at the Lake Wales Mural website.

Lake Wales Museum

Like other old train depots around Florida, the Atlantic Coast Line Depot has been transformed into the Lake Wales Museum.  The museum offers a look back at the history of Lake Wales.  Starting with its inception in 1911, exhibits depict the people, places and events that have shaped the town. Take a step back in time and learn about the history of the railroad, the turpentine industry and the postal service. There are also special exhibits that are set up throughout the year.  Before you leave the museum, make sure to head outside and tour a refurbished Seaboard caboose.

Other Things to See and Do in Lake Wales

Bok Tower and Gardens

You can’t visit Lake Wales without making a trip to Bok Tower and Gardens, located atop Iron Mountain.  Founded by Edward W. Bok, the gardens opened to the public in 1929 and now features nearly 50 acres of lush gardens filled with palms, ferns, oaks and other trees. Seasonal plants also provide splashes of color to the grounds.

The centerpiece to the gardens is the 205-foot Bok Tower.  Known as the Singing Tower, it houses one of the finest carillons anywhere in the world. With 60 bells, the tower rings out with concerts every day at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Also, on property is the Pinewood Estate, a 20-room mansion built in the early 1930s. The estate is open for tours, but make sure to check the website for blackout dates before you plan your trip.

Spook Hill

Do cars really roll uphill?  That’s for you to decide when you visit Spook Hill in Lake Wales.

If you want to know more about Spook Hill, click here.  Or even better, drive to Spook Hill, park your car on the white line, put it into neutral, and see what happens!

How to find it: From U.S. 27, take State Road 60 west to Alternate U.S. 27, north past Central Avenue, then east at first traffic light (North Avenue). Then turn left on one-way street to Spook Hill.

Struthers’ Honey

Struthers’ Honey is one of those places you have to visit.  Situated about 15 minutes east of Highway 27 along Highway 60, this honey store operates on the honor system.  That’s right.  There is usually no one inside to take your money.  Only shelves full of honey and honey-based products, and a cash box.  If you are lucky, you will be there when one of the family members stops by to replenish the shelves.  Struthers’ Honey opened for business in 1935 and may be the oldest honey store in Florida working off the honor system.

Orange Blossom Revue

Towns across Florida are known for their festivals and events.  In Lake Wales, the Orange Blossom Revue is one of those.  The event got its name from the impact of the citrus industry in Central Florida.  Held in early December every year, the Revue hosts barbeque competitions, regional musicians, arts and crafts, and craft beer featuring Florida breweries.  The weekend is full of fun activities for everyone, not just the locals.

Lake Wales Mardi Gras

Who would think a Mardi Gras celebration would be held in a small city like Lake Wales?  In 1984, the celebration began in Lake Wales in memory of Vinton Davis who owned Vinton’s New Orleans Restaurant.  Davis is said to have loved carnivals, especially Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  The Lake Wales Mardi Gras celebration is usually held the first weekend of March.  What’s billed as “A Festival for Florida” features live music, a parade, a 5k run and plenty of fun for the entire family.

There doesn’t have to be an event to visit Lake Wales.  This small city with a hometown atmosphere offers many opportunities to learn about its history, get a taste of some of its culture, or enjoy its natural beauty.

Lake Wales is located about 54 miles southwest of Orlando off U.S. 27 and Highway 60.  Please watch our slide show for more pictures from our trips to Lake Wales.

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Leave Your Credit Cards at Home

Honors System in Florida

It’s hard to believe that in 2018, the honors system is alive and well in Florida.  You see it at some state and county parks where envelopes and collection boxes are used for entrance fees.  But what about private businesses that offer up products for you to buy without someone there to ring you up?  It may sound like a risky venture, but these business owners say most people are good and honest.

In our travels, we have come across several businesses operating on the honors system, all of them honey stands.  Located along backroads, or along highways through the rural parts of the state, these businesses are reminiscent of a much simpler time in Florida.

Putnam County

Biggers Apiaries Honey Stand

After hearing about a honey stand selling through the honors system in Putnam County, we decided to see what the buzz was all about and visit during one of our trips to Palatka.  For more than 70 years, the Biggers Apiaries Honey Stand has been selling its honey from the side of Highway 100 in San Mateo.  The old wooden structure is showing its age, but the honey is as plentiful and sweet as ever.  Jars of palmetto, gallberry, orange blossom, and wildflower honey line the shelves.  Tables in front also hold additional items, like cane syrup and pumpkin butter. A yellow sign with large red letters tells visitors to “Put money in the box.”

A small outdoor store now sits next to the roadside stand.  Lawn ornaments, additional honey, jams and jellies can be found inside.  If it is open, someone is inside to take your money.  But if you’re only looking for the honey, you don’t need to go any further than the old stand outside.

Central Florida

Homeland, Florida

South of Bartow, along SR 640 West off Highway 17/98, sits a small wooden red structure, one of the newer honor system locations we have found.  It looks like any other roadside stand, but there is no one there to welcome you or sell you the product.  The counter is lined with jars of raw honey – various sizes, various prices. Signs hanging on the back wall provide further instructions if you are looking to buy larger sizes.

If you like what you see, and the price is right, put the money in the slot on the cash box and you are done.

Lake Wales, Florida

Struthers’ Honey

About 15 minutes east of Highway 27, along Highway 60, is perhaps the state’s oldest honey store working off the honor system, opening for business in 1935.  Sitting just off the highway about 10 miles east of Lake Wales, Struthers’ Honey welcomes visitors with a quaint front porch that opens into a small store.  On the back wall, tiered shelves hold jars of honey, honey candy, bee pollen, and bees wax.  The yellow walls are adorned with old family photos revealing the history of the business, as well as various other framed posters and prints paying homage to the bee.  In the middle of the floor is a table-size box with a tiny slot for you to pay for your purchases.

Arriving early on a Saturday morning, we were lucky to be in the store when Alden Struthers entered to restock the shelves.  Alden is a fourth-generation beekeeper, taking over the business from his father.  (Alden’s son and grandsons are also working in the business.) His down-home hospitality provided an unexpected first-hand history of the business, as well as a lesson in beekeeping.

Alden Struthers, 4th Generation Beekeeper

One of the photos on the wall is with Alden wearing a beard of bees, something he says he was coaxed into doing by his brothers when he reached the age of 50.  Another picture is of his older brother donning the same kind of beard.

Struthers and his “bee beard”

Alden told us, even though most people are honest and pay for what they take, the cash table was stolen years ago when the store front faced the highway before it was four-laned.  The cash box, which had $25 in it, was found later in a nearby creek. It took a day and a half to get it out.

 

Money slot

There are probably more of these honors systems businesses throughout the state, but like other “old Florida” traditions and culture, they are not as prevalent as they once were.

Have you been to any other honors systems locations in Florida?  If so, leave a comment and tell us were they are.

 

The Orange Shop, Citra

Tucked away in North Central Florida, between Ocala and Hawthorne, is the small town of Citra.  It’s not a place with its own exit off Interstate 75.  In fact, unless you drive along Highway 301 or live in the area, you probably do not even know it exists.

Citra, known as the home of the pineapple orange, was founded in 1881 in an area where citrus was prominent.  While that is part of the town’s history, it isn’t the only unique feature about Citra. It is also the home of The Orange Shop, one of the last true roadside citrus stands in Florida.

Billboards and signs along 301 direct you to the shop, which sits at the intersection with Northeast 185 Street.  A grove, packing house and store all occupy the same piece of land. While some of the fruit for The Orange Shop is grown on-site, some is also brought in from the Indian River area.

The Orange Shop has been in business since 1936.  The owners are third-generation growers who continue to harvest fruit from groves that have been producing since the Civil War.  Bright orange columns welcome you onto the front porch, a part of the building with its own story.  When automobiles became the mode of transportation in the 1930s, fruit was sold from the front porch of the house to motorists who stopped by.  That porch has been kept intact since the beginning and still serves as the entry way, flanked with bags of fresh oranges that seem to say “Welcome to Florida.”

The store is exactly what you’d expect.  If it isn’t citrus-related, it is Florida-related.  Along the wall just inside the door, guests can choose from a plethora of items bearing The Orange Shop name and logo.

In another part of the store, additional items offer up Florida flavor, from an assortment of chutney and conserves to orange blossom honey.  If you’re looking to ship some Florida sunshine to out of state friends or family, sample gift boxes are displayed to provide examples of what’s available.

For visitors wanting to pick up some good reads, a book shelf spotlights numerous books about Florida or written by Floridians. Florida literature buffs will recognize one of the authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who lived less than ten miles away along Orange Lake.  Rawlings books Cross Creek, The Yearling and a cookbook are a few of the books for sale.  Other cookbooks, children’s books and books about Florida ghosts fill out the shelves.

The Orange Shop also offers up a true taste of Florida.  Make sure to try out an orange or grapefruit wedge or a sample of liquid sunshine – all available to purchase onsite. Friendly staff are on hand to help out with any of your needs.

The Orange Shop is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Due to the seasonal nature of citrus, the shop is open from October 15 to June 1, so if you want to stop by, plan your trip accordingly.

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)

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 (now Pioneer Festival) has 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 Days serves as a showcase event that draws thousands of visitors to the park and introduces them to its beauty and everything it has to offer.

Richloam General Store

Sometimes you are lucky to stumble upon a Florida gem simply by venturing away from the highways and taking the backroads.  But other times, it takes a small nugget of knowledge to direct you to a slice of Florida history you otherwise would not have seen.

Such is the case with the Richloam General Store, tucked away in the Withlacoochee State Forest in Hernando County. I heard about this little treasure through a friend on social media who said it was a place I needed to visit.

Where is the Richloam General Store?

The store sits south of State Road 50 on Richloam Clay Sink Road, about three miles east of U.S. 301. A small sign on this narrow winding road indicates you are approaching the Historic Richloam General Store.

Who would have known that a short distance from a main east-west highway through Florida sits a store that pays homage to the community’s past?  The front of the store is quaint and inviting.  Rocking chairs on the porch seem to beckon you to sit a while, listen to the sounds of the forest, and enjoy life the way it used to be.

It sounds a little cliché but stepping inside is like taking a step back in time.  From the moment you walk through the screen doors, you feel as though you are being transported back to the 1920s and 30s.

“Welcome to Richloam General Store.  Is this your first time here?”

Daisy Brinson, mother of property owner Eric Burkes, stands behind the original cash register and greets each customer as though they are family.  She is quick to offer up a brief history of the store – and more if you ask questions.  Daisy is proud of this little store and its history, not only to Richloam but also to her family.

Daisy Brinson

Richloam General Store’s History

The store was built in 1920 by Sid Brinson to serve as the general store and post office for the Richloam community.  A train depot, ice house, barn, and turpentine still also sat on the property.  In January 1928, the original store burned to the ground, amid speculation the fire was intentionally set to cover up a robbery, which would have been a federal crime because the store housed the post office.

In about a month’s time, the store was rebuilt – this time out of metal – and remained open until 1936.

After serving as a family residence until the mid-1950s, the store sat vacant for nearly 20 years, until John Brinson (Daisy’s husband) purchased the property from his uncle Sid’s estate in 1973.

Daisy reminisces about life on the property, recounting how her sons were raised here.  One of her fondest memories, she admits, is of the boys using the vacant store as their clubhouse.

Open for Business

Fast forward to 2016 when Daisy and John’s son Eric decides to renovate the store, using as much of the original building material as possible.  It is returned it to the way it was more than 80 years ago and reopened as a general store.

The original post office boxes sit just inside the door.  A hand painted sign hangs from the ceiling and copies of “Wanted” posters are taped to the exterior.  The letter slot is just below the postmaster’s window.

Sid Brinson’s name can be seen on some of the original sheets of metal used to rebuild the store in the late 20s. Each pallet that arrived had his name stamped on the top sheets of the bundle.

Other evidence of the original character of the building and the property can be seen elsewhere within the store.  Bricks from the old turpentine still now serve as the fireplace.

And Daisy is happy to point out the 1918 Singer Treadle Sewing Machine she still uses to make aprons, sock monkeys and Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls.

Of course, you can’t visit a general store without looking at the many items on the shelves themselves. The Richloam General Store stays true to the time period and offers goods you would have seen in the 20s and 30s, items you won’t necessarily see in today’s grocery stores.

Jams and jellies, sauces, local honey, salt-cured meat, and jars of candy all offer up a taste of life in simpler times.

Richloam General Store, the oldest historical building still standing in the Richloam area, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.  The folks who stop by are the locals, hunters during hunting season, and the curious.  Fundraising efforts are now underway to restore or rebuild the other buildings on the property to provide more opportunities for visitors to learn about early life in the Richloam community.

Florida’s backroads don’t get any better than this.

 

Note: The Richloam General Store is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.