LAKE WALES, Fla. — Lake Wales' rich history is shown all over the city.
The railroad tracks are a constant reminder of how this town started.
The Historic Atlantic Coast Line Depot is now home to the Lake Wales History Museum.
As soon as you walk through the doors, you feel like you've stepped back in time.
Trains still rumble past the platform outside, but today, the station tells a different story. One of the citrus groves, cattle pastures, pine forests, and the iron rails that built Lake Wales.
It was the rail line that turned this rural outpost into a hub.
Turpentine drawn from vast pine forests drew settlers south. Cattle ranching followed and then citrus.
The Museum is home to original artifacts and exhibits tracing that evolution, shaping the city into what it is today.
"There’s so much rich history that I think people don’t realize comes from the Central Florida area, Polk County, and Lake Wales in particular. And I think it’s a wonderful thing to help see people where we were and where we’re headed," said Nicole Nichtl, the interim executive director of the Lake Wales History Museum.
Brandon Alvarado is the president of the Lake Wales History Museum.
"I think Lake Wales still has a little bit of small-town vintage charm. It's close enough to Tampa, Orlando, where you can settle and not be in the hubbub of a larger city," said Alvarado.
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