Randall M MacDonald

Join Lakeland residents Randall M. MacDonald, Susan Priest MacDonald and Sarah E. MacDonald as they explore the differences between the Lakeland of yesterday and today. Historical images of eclectic buildings and notable scenes stand side by side with their modern equivalents in order to depict the changes that have occurred in Lakeland over the past century. Take a look at downtown Lakeland, Munn Park and local lakes as they were transformed by transportation, industry and technology. This fascinating book documents how the rural crossroads of Lakeland turned into a thriving modern city.

Florida's first theme park, Cypress Gardens, was the brainchild of Richard Downing Dick Pope Sr. With his wife, Julie Downing Pope, he transformed a marshy, lakeside property in Winter Haven into a magnificent garden. The park's first visitors in 1936 toured pathways surrounded by lush plants from around the world. Two years later, electric boats meandered through the park's winding, hand-dug canals. Water ski shows commenced in 1942, and the park became the Water Ski Capital of the World. The Florida-shaped Esther Williams Swimming Pool still graces the shore of Lake Eloise. The park was a set for dozens of short feature films, a stage for beauty pageants, and a site for special television broadcasts. A butterfly garden, zoo, rides, and the small-town Southern Crossroads shopping and dining area remain popular features. Kent Buescher purchased Cypress Gardens in 2004, and today's expanded Cypress Gardens Adventure Park preserves the family-friendly appeal of Dick and Julie Pope's magnificent park.