1952 Map of Lake Wales

About this map

Bok Tower stands prominently atop Iron Mountain, marking the centerpiece of this mid-century Florida landscape. The town of Lake Wales is defined by its surrounding waters, with its street grid compressed between Lake Wales and Lake Effie. The town's growth is oriented along the competing rail lines of the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line, which cut through the citrus-growing ridges of the Central Highlands. North of the main settlement, the area transitions into a series of smaller residential pockets and schools like Roosevelt Sch and Polk Ave Sch. To the east, the vast expanse of Lake Pierce dominates the terrain, while the Peace Creek Drainage Canal to the west highlights the extensive hydrologic modifications made to support the local agricultural and phosphate interests of the era.