In 1957, W. L. and Ruth Bennett constructed a roadside hotel on US Highway 27 in Avon Park. They called it the Bennett Motel. In the days before interstates, Highway 27 was a primary artery for folks traveling to South...
Avon Park
Avon Park, the oldest city in Highlands County, Florida, boasts a history that began in 1884. The first permanent resident, Oliver Martin Crosby, a Connecticut native, arrived to study the Everglades wildlife. Soon after, in 1886, enough settlers followed, leading to the founding of “Lake Forest.” However, the town’s name didn’t last long. Influenced by an English resident who saw similarities to her hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, the town was renamed Avon Park, a name it carries proudly to this day.
Reed’s Motel and its Diving Lady
Cardinals Played in Avon Park from 1927-1929
The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 1926, so it was with much excitement in Avon Park when the tiny "scenic ridge" town was announced as their spring home. The Red Birds signed a three-year contract to play...
Avon Park City Council Throws Out All Black Votes in 1951 Election
The good old boy system of Avon Park was shaken to its core in 1949. That September, five out of six incumbents were voted out of office. Among the newly-elected was young Wiley Sauls, who was just 21. The story...
Tom the Turkey of Pabor Lake
Every town needs a mascot. In the Pabor Lake, it was a friendly fowl who narrowly evaded becoming Thanksgiving dinner. Every town needs a mascot, and the Pabor Lake Colony had a right-friendly one named Tom. Arguably the fowl became...
The Illusion of Freedom: African Americans in 1890s Florida
Despite being granted their freedom some thirty years prior, freed slaves in turn of the century Florida were still barely unshackled. Being set free (13th Amendment), granted equal citizenship (14th Amendment), and given the right to vote (15th Amendment) didn’t...
Sebring and Avon Park Battle for County Seat
When the Florida legislature formed Highlands County from DeSoto County in 1921, it kicked off a heated campaign to decide which town would become the capital city. In the early 1900s, south-central Florida was dominated by mega-county DeSoto County, itself having...
The Marvelous Wooden Railroad
John C. Burleigh needed a steam engine for his sprawling sawmill in Avon Park, and nothing would stop him! Imagine living in frontier Central Florida in the year 1895. Without roads or mechanical equipment, you must move a 12-ton locomotive...
The Lost Colony of Pabor Lake
Most people interested in the history of Highlands County have heard about the involvement Melvil Dewey (of Dewey Decimal System fame) had on the founding of Lake Placid, Florida. However, few have ever heard of the Pabor Lake Colony, which...