Located in eastern Polk County, Winter Haven is a small, historic community founded in the nineteenth century. Columbus Thornhill, a Confederate veteran, arrived in the region with his family in 1865, eventually settling along the shores of Lake Howard. Several families followed the Thornhill's lead, but the area remained isolated with a tiny population for the next two decades.

In 1884, the town got its name, Winter Haven. Coupled with the arrival of the South Florida Railroad in 1885, the alluring name sparked real estate and agricultural development. Weathering a devastating 1895 freeze, Winter Haven residents cast their lot with an emerging citrus industry. The success of local citrus farmers made the town an ideal host for the Florida Citrus Festival. First held in 1924, the state fair was a mainstay of Polk County's social life for more than 8 decades.

The Great Depression ushered in an era of hardship for town residents, but one local found opportunity in these dark days. George Jenkins, the manager of a local Piggly Wiggly food store, gave up job security to open the first Publix store in 1930. Today, Publix is one of the largest grocery store chains in the United States, operating nearly one thousand stores in five southern states.

Another enterprising individual envisioned a tropical paradise in Winter Haven. Inspired by the beauty of cypress trees extending over Lake Eloise, Dick Pope convinced the city council to adopt a five-year beautification program aimed at attracting tourists to town. With funds from the Depression-era Works Projects Administration, Pope opened famous Cypress Gardens in 1936. Still in existence, the park is reminiscent of Florida tourism before the arrival of Walt Disney World. Another local, Cedric Adkins invented frozen concentrated orange juice in the midst of World War II. Born and raised in Winter Haven, Adkins returned home after college and was working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture when, in 1945, he revolutionized the citrus industry with his invention.

Today, The Downtown Winter Haven Historic District, features 26 buildings of historical significance and several shops and restaurants. Nearby Winter Haven Heights Historic District and the Interlaken Historic District are home to century-old historic houses. A stroll down the city's peaceful tree-lined streets or a visit to Cypress Gardens reminds one of Florida's past and the processes of growth and development that have forever changed the state.

Script written by Kyle Burke. Narrated by Jonathon Heide.