09/06/2026
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🍊 Polk County… Did You Know?
Lakeland is called The Swan City. But in 1954, every single swan was gone.
Swans had been part of Lakeland's identity for decades.
Snowbirds traveling from the Northeast and Midwest brought them to their winter homes on the downtown lakes.
By 1926 the city had 20 swans and established an entire Swan Department just to care for them.
Then they started disappearing one by one.
Alligators, dogs, disease, and chemicals took their toll. By 1954 not a single swan was left in Lakeland.
The Swan City had no swans.
A Lakeland couple named Mr. and Mrs. Pickhardt were living in England and heard what happened.
So they wrote a letter directly to Queen Elizabeth II asking if she would donate a pair of swans from the royal flock on the Thames River outside London.
The Queen agreed.
But Lakeland would have to cover the costs of bringing them to Florida.
The total was about $300.
The initial fundraising drive in Lakeland only raised $7.
Neighboring cities Orlando and St. Pete stepped in to help make up the rest.
After months of delays the royal swans finally arrived at Lake Morton in February 1957.
The male swan immediately flew away for several days before coming back. He later died and the female was paired with another mate.
Today about 75 swans live on Lake Morton.
Lakeland's white mute swan flock traces its history back to the Queen's 1957 gift. They get annual health checkups.
The babies are microchipped.
And the swan is now on Lakeland's official city logo.
All because a couple living in England wrote a letter to the Queen. 🍊
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This week's Polk Trivia is all about Lakeland and Winter Haven.
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