Kathleen Area Historical Society

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Lakeland, FL
Kathleen Area Historical Society

The Mission Statement of the Society is to document, interpret, and preserve local history.
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06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day - with a dose of history.

06/17/2026

Tell us a story about this photo, ca 1900. Labeled as "The Sutton Farm," we suspect that it is the homestead of Charles N. and Rachel Keen Sutton of the Winston/Griffin area, both of whom descend from pioneers families in the Winston/Griffin area.

Some will recall the Rev. Bascom Sutton (1890-1986), a son of the couple, who was a teacher at Winston School and then a minister in the Kathleen Area for many years.

Any Sutton and Keen folks out there who can identify the photo or any of those pictured?

06/13/2026

UPDATE - NEWSPAPER ARTICLE NOW PROVIDED: June 11,1937 news from Kathleen and Socrum, The Tampa Tribune.

I think we can assume that the architect and contractor were correct in their conclusion that the additions to the Kathleen School building (the east and west ends) were "solid." Here we are 89 years later, and the building endures - through fire (1990s) and tornado (October 2018) and who knows what else. Now known as Kathleen Middle School.

Bethel Baptist Church folks - note the last paragraph as to the beloved red brick 1928 sanctuary. A major accomplishment to build it during the Great Depression and to pay it off 9 years later when times were still hard!

06/12/2026

Spaghetti Supper News. 134 suppers served tonight on the 28th anniversary of the first spaghetti supper held on June 11, 1998. Thank you to all who attended and to our volunteers who work so hard month after month.

06/10/2026

Join the celebration at Spaghetti Supper on Thursday, June 11 at Heritage Park. The DATE IS EXACTLY 28 YEARS, TO THE DAY, that the first spaghetti supper fundraiser was held- June 11, 1998.

To celebrate, 28 random diners will receive a plate of spaghetti with homemade sauce at 1998 prices - $2 for child size; $4 for adult size, including garlic bread and beverage. All other diners at $8 for child size; $10 for adult size. Side salads for $1 each and desserts for $2 each.

Support us with your attendance, and donate a homemade dessert! We will have a special cake too! Thank you for your support!

06/08/2026

Many of our friends have commented about our previous post on the Lake Breeze Motel - both the devastation caused by the tornado in Gibsonia on April 4, 1966 and if the Lake Breeze Motel closed as a result. The devastation was widespread across the state, but Gibsonia was especially hard hit with some reports citing that 9 people were killed. Newspapers in just about every state across the nation covered the story.

It appears that the Lake Breeze Motel did not close until 1978.

These newspaper clippings document some of the devastation and the closure of the Lake Breeze Motel twelve years later.

06/05/2026

Another great resource for historical research is now available online, compliments of Stacy M. Butterfield, Polk County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller. The original Cattle Brand (and ear marks) Books! Thank you, Stacy!

Covering the period from the 1860s through the 1940s when brands were recorded at the County level, the fragile and valuable brand books were digitized, preserving the information from the original source for generations to come, while also continuing to protect the original source. And, you can scroll through the books to look for your ancestors' brands from the comfort of your home!

The brand books join another valuable research tool available on the Clerk's website - that of historical deeds.

Let the research begin - right here! Pay close attention to the instructions included on the website page. Actual Owner Names and Brands begin on page 3 of Brand Book 1 with 304 pages, Brand Book 2 has 84 pages.

https://www.polkclerkfl.gov/325/Historic-Cattle-Brands

06/03/2026

Summertime brings to mind great memories of time spent at the pool at the Lake Breeze Motel in Gibsonia. Teenagers from the Kathleen Area spent many happy hours at that pool, for just a quarter, if memory serves. Not many folks in the area had pools back in the day, so the Lake Breeze Motel became a gathering place for those looking to cool off and socialize with friends.

The motel and pool was located on the east side of Hwy 98 North, just south of West Daughtery Road.

Address

8950 N Campbell Road
Lakeland, FL
33810

Telephone

(863) 944-5656

Website

http://www.kahsatsocrum.org/

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