MEMBER MICRONEWS

October Happenings at the History Center

Journey into Polk history this month at the Polk County History Center. The following programs and events are open to the public and free of charge:

October Family Program – Curators of Curiosity - All Month - Halloween Hoorah
- In the late 1800s, there was a move in the United States to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating also was revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. Explore more about the story of Halloween in Polk and decorate your own trick-or-treat bag and perhaps find a treat or two at the desks of the History Center staff.

Oct. 15, 3 p.m. – The Carpenters’ Home Historical Marker Dedication and Unveiling Ceremony

In a partnership between Lake Gibson Village and the Polk County Historical Commission, a historical marker will be unveiled on the site of the former retirement home for members of the United Carpenters and Joiners of America, located at 771 Carpenter’s Way in north Lakeland. The Carpenters’ Home operated on the shores of Lake Gibson from 1929 to 1976. The beautiful Mediterranean design of the building has been rehabilitated with much of its original character restored, and recently re-opened as Lake Gibson Village, a senior living community.

Oct. 15, 11 a.m. – Architectural Tour

Join us for a family friendly architectural tour of the History Center and learn more about neoclassical architecture, the construction of the building and the stories behind the iconic Old Polk County Courthouse. This month’s featured architectural elements are the courthouse stairs. The architectural tour is on the third Saturday of each month at 11 a.m.

Oct. 18, 9 a.m. – Recognition of Polk County Historical Commission Members

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners will recognize the long-time service of three retiring Polk County Historical Commission members, Wm. Lloyd Harris, Dr. Herbert Nigg and Edwin V. Smith. The ceremony will occur at the beginning of the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners in the Commission Board Room at the Neil Combee Administration Building.

The Polk County Historical Commission was established by the Florida Legislature in 1937 and serves as an advisory commission to the Board of County Commissioners and the Polk County History Center in promoting and preserving Polk County’s history.

Oct. 18, 12:15 to 1 p.m. – Lunch and Learn – John Vincent Atanasoff
- History Center staff will present a retrospective on the early life of Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff, the often overlooked father of the computer. Born in New York in 1903, Atanasoff spent much of his youth in southwest Polk. As an employee for American Cyanamid, his father brought John Vincent and the family to Brewster and then Chicora.

Atanasoff’s contributions to the computing world came in 1939 when he and Clifford Berry designed a prototype system that would make faster computations. The spirit of ingenuity and creativity that drove Atanasoff’s work is present in Polk today. Students from Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland also will join us to share how their projects are now enhancing technology and improving the world.

Recommended book club reading: The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, by Walter Isaacson.

What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?

The Innovators is a masterly saga of collaborative genius destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution—and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. Isaacson begins the adventure with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s.

He explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution and illustrates how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. It is also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative.

Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. Fort Blount Park- Launching the Florida Stories Bartow Walking Tour
- Join the Polk County History Center and Polk County Historical Association for the launch of the newest addition to the Polk County Heritage Trail - Florida Stories, Bartow.

Florida Stories is an app based program that will allow explorers to download a narrated tour of twelve sites across Historic Bartow. The app features narration by professional voice actor, Chaz Mena, and historic photographs related to sites. Each stop on the walking tour is within walking distance of the History Center.

Festivities will include a performance by the Sweet Teas and a ceremonial download. If that isn’t enough, the City of Lake Wales also is featured and will be celebrating with an official launch Oct. 29. Contact Monica at the Depot Museum for details. Visit https://floridahumanities.org/events/cultural-tours/florida-stories-app/ to discover more about the app.

New Exhibits – History of Baseball in Polk County and the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland

The opening of two exciting exhibits that are sure to score a home run with the entire family are set to open this month. These permanent exhibits feature the history of baseball in Polk. The Detroit Tigers spring training in Lakeland, and also highlight a location on the Polk County History and Heritage Trail Citrus Label Tour.

For more than a century, the game of baseball has enthralled generations of Polk residents. Early leagues included Phosphate, City, Negro, and MLB Grapefruit spring training teams. Professional baseball arrived in Polk in March 1915 when the Louisville Colonels held spring training in Lakeland. Several major and minor league teams established spring training camps in Polk County over the years, enabling fans to see such Hall of Fame players as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in action. Spring training games created a strong attraction for both local fans and tourists.

The Tigers exhibit explores the team’s history, the origin of the name Tigers, and their spring training history with the City of Lakeland and the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Learn about “Tiger Greats,” players with retired jerseys including Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg before concluding your visit with “Tiger Town USA 1962,” a unique vintage film featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Tiger’s spring training camp in Lakeland.

Also several labels from Auker-Meyer-Crowder, Inc. a packinghouse formerly located in Lakeland-Highland City are part of the Polk County History and Heritage Trail Citrus Label Tour. The packinghouse owners included two Detroit Tiger baseball players that played on the World Series winning team in the 1930s– Eldon Auker and Alvin Crowder. The two met local fruit buyer, Arthur Meyer, while in Lakeland during spring training, and formed a partnership during the peak of citrus industry production. The A-M-C label, along with the Tiger series of labels represents the melding of sports with citrus.

The Polk County Historical Commission and Marker Committee will meet at the Publix Warehouse and former corporate office, 1936 George Jenkins Blvd, Lakeland at 2:30 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.

About the Polk County History Center: The Polk County History Center is located at 100 E. Main St. in Bartow and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visit www.polkhistorycenter.org or call (863) 534-4386 for more information on exhibits and programming. All events and programming are free and open to the public.


MEMBER MICRONEWS October Happenings at the History Center Journey into Polk history this month at the Polk County History Center. The following programs and events are open to the public and free of charge: October Family Program – Curators of Curiosity - All Month - Halloween Hoorah In the late 1800s, there was a move in the United States to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating also was revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. Explore more about the story of Halloween in Polk and decorate your own trick-or-treat bag and perhaps find a treat or two at the desks of the History Center staff. Oct. 15, 3 p.m. – The Carpenters’ Home Historical Marker Dedication and Unveiling Ceremony In a partnership between Lake Gibson Village and the Polk County Historical Commission, a historical marker will be unveiled on the site of the former retirement home for members of the United Carpenters and Joiners of America, located at 771 Carpenter’s Way in north Lakeland. The Carpenters’ Home operated on the shores of Lake Gibson from 1929 to 1976. The beautiful Mediterranean design of the building has been rehabilitated with much of its original character restored, and recently re-opened as Lake Gibson Village, a senior living community. Oct. 15, 11 a.m. – Architectural Tour Join us for a family friendly architectural tour of the History Center and learn more about neoclassical architecture, the construction of the building and the stories behind the iconic Old Polk County Courthouse. This month’s featured architectural elements are the courthouse stairs. The architectural tour is on the third Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. Oct. 18, 9 a.m. – Recognition of Polk County Historical Commission Members The Polk County Board of County Commissioners will recognize the long-time service of three retiring Polk County Historical Commission members, Wm. Lloyd Harris, Dr. Herbert Nigg and Edwin V. Smith. The ceremony will occur at the beginning of the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners in the Commission Board Room at the Neil Combee Administration Building. The Polk County Historical Commission was established by the Florida Legislature in 1937 and serves as an advisory commission to the Board of County Commissioners and the Polk County History Center in promoting and preserving Polk County’s history. Oct. 18, 12:15 to 1 p.m. – Lunch and Learn – John Vincent Atanasoff History Center staff will present a retrospective on the early life of Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff, the often overlooked father of the computer. Born in New York in 1903, Atanasoff spent much of his youth in southwest Polk. As an employee for American Cyanamid, his father brought John Vincent and the family to Brewster and then Chicora. Atanasoff’s contributions to the computing world came in 1939 when he and Clifford Berry designed a prototype system that would make faster computations. The spirit of ingenuity and creativity that drove Atanasoff’s work is present in Polk today. Students from Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland also will join us to share how their projects are now enhancing technology and improving the world. Recommended book club reading: The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, by Walter Isaacson. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail? The Innovators is a masterly saga of collaborative genius destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution—and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. Isaacson begins the adventure with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s. He explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution and illustrates how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. It is also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative. Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. Fort Blount Park- Launching the Florida Stories Bartow Walking Tour Join the Polk County History Center and Polk County Historical Association for the launch of the newest addition to the Polk County Heritage Trail - Florida Stories, Bartow. Florida Stories is an app based program that will allow explorers to download a narrated tour of twelve sites across Historic Bartow. The app features narration by professional voice actor, Chaz Mena, and historic photographs related to sites. Each stop on the walking tour is within walking distance of the History Center. Festivities will include a performance by the Sweet Teas and a ceremonial download. If that isn’t enough, the City of Lake Wales also is featured and will be celebrating with an official launch Oct. 29. Contact Monica at the Depot Museum for details. Visit https://floridahumanities.org/events/cultural-tours/florida-stories-app/ to discover more about the app. New Exhibits – History of Baseball in Polk County and the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland The opening of two exciting exhibits that are sure to score a home run with the entire family are set to open this month. These permanent exhibits feature the history of baseball in Polk. The Detroit Tigers spring training in Lakeland, and also highlight a location on the Polk County History and Heritage Trail Citrus Label Tour. For more than a century, the game of baseball has enthralled generations of Polk residents. Early leagues included Phosphate, City, Negro, and MLB Grapefruit spring training teams. Professional baseball arrived in Polk in March 1915 when the Louisville Colonels held spring training in Lakeland. Several major and minor league teams established spring training camps in Polk County over the years, enabling fans to see such Hall of Fame players as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in action. Spring training games created a strong attraction for both local fans and tourists. The Tigers exhibit explores the team’s history, the origin of the name Tigers, and their spring training history with the City of Lakeland and the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Learn about “Tiger Greats,” players with retired jerseys including Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg before concluding your visit with “Tiger Town USA 1962,” a unique vintage film featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Tiger’s spring training camp in Lakeland. Also several labels from Auker-Meyer-Crowder, Inc. a packinghouse formerly located in Lakeland-Highland City are part of the Polk County History and Heritage Trail Citrus Label Tour. The packinghouse owners included two Detroit Tiger baseball players that played on the World Series winning team in the 1930s– Eldon Auker and Alvin Crowder. The two met local fruit buyer, Arthur Meyer, while in Lakeland during spring training, and formed a partnership during the peak of citrus industry production. The A-M-C label, along with the Tiger series of labels represents the melding of sports with citrus. The Polk County Historical Commission and Marker Committee will meet at the Publix Warehouse and former corporate office, 1936 George Jenkins Blvd, Lakeland at 2:30 p.m. The meetings are open to the public. About the Polk County History Center: The Polk County History Center is located at 100 E. Main St. in Bartow and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visit www.polkhistorycenter.org or call (863) 534-4386 for more information on exhibits and programming. All events and programming are free and open to the public.
Newsletter1 - copy of October 11, 2016