The year was 1928 and M. F. Hetherington was the retired publisher of the Lakeland Evening Telegram. It was this year that he published “The History of Polk County” — a 379-page compilation of early Polk history and biographical information of some of the county’s leading citizens.
Back in my elementary and junior high school days (we’re talking about the late 1940s and early 1950s) one of the most vile insults you could hurl without getting your mouth washed out with soap was to call a classmate a Yankee.
Many of us take for granted that, when the new school year rolls around, it’s totally normal for each 5-year-old boy and girl to enroll in kindergarten, then go school shopping with mom or dad to buy new school supplies, backpacks, and clothes.
Wildfires in Florida occur throughout the year, and given that much of Polk County is undeveloped, we certainly see how much of a problem wildfires can be.
When writing about history, I find that some of the strongest feelings I encounter involve childhood neighborhoods.
For those of us fortunate enough to complete a career of 40 to 50 years, and who choose retirement, the most frequent question we hear is “What are you going to do now?”
Each week, I write about Winter Haven memories. Some have been recorded by others in newspapers, brochures and pamphlets. Sometimes I share my memories.
Of the many bosses I have had — in journalism and the military (both active Army and Florida Army National Guard) — Malcolm Johnson was arguably the most colorful.
History records the surgeon general’s report of Jan. 11, 1964, as the pivotal date in the fight against tobacco smoking.
Imagine you traveled back in time to the early 1930s and you decided to make Winter Haven your “home base” while you explored Central Florida — and you booked your stay at the Haven Hotel.
Summer is upon us — the kids are out of school, and you’re thinking of ways to keep them entertained, without either going broke or going crazy.
What do the following people have in common?
As I wrote last week, my family moved to Winter Haven in September of 1960.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport.
Having spent a career as a journalist beginning as a carrier boy at the age of 12, I am no stranger to the criticisms of our craft.
It was about 1915 in Florida. Land speculation was popular across the state. Winter Haven was no exception.
Back in 1964, only a few weeks into my Florida National Guard career that would last for 30 years, Col. Ed Chassee, deputy commander of what was then the 53rd Armored Brigade, called me aside and said, “Frisbie, you and I are guardians of the printed word in this brigade.”
Missing person cases are something the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office investigates often — more than you might think.
As mentioned from time to time over the years, my classmates in the Summerlin Institute Class of 1958 awarded me — with ample justification — the title of “Least Athletic.”
If you’ve lived in Polk County for any length of time, you know that when it comes to keeping people safe, our city and county departments are committed to working together across jurisdictional and bureaucratic boundaries.
