The area now called Lakeland shares with the rest of western.jpg)
Tennessee a rich
and vibrant history. The lands within the city boundary once teamed with
wildlife and were part of the
hunting grounds of the proud Chickasaw Indians. In
1818 Andrew Jackson persuaded the Chickasaw to sell these fertile lands to the
United States. The result was an influx of new settlers.
In
the early 1830's pioneer families - Gillespie, Griffin, Beaty, Buckley,
Wellborn, Horne and Jones, to name a few - homesteaded in the Lakeland area. The
settlers brought to Tennessee a self-sufficient, diversified farming approach,
tempered by a strong land stewardship ethic.
The Civil War brought tremendous change to the Lakeland area. While there was
little fighting, the
emotional and economic
devastation was far reaching. Many families sent
cherished members to war - and many of these did not survive. Local historic
cemeteries are the final resting place of both known and unknown soldiers.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the area reestablished itself. In the
1880's and 1890's, however, another formidable adversary had
to be fought.
Yellow fever struck Memphis, extinguishing thousands of lives. Searching for
ways to escape the city, people fled to the rural countryside. Here, "quaint and provincial country cousins" generously opened their home to people they often
did not know.
The 21st century brings Lakeland into a new and demanding
reality. As population surges, residential subdivision development, road
building, traffic management,
commercial development, public safety, parks, and
infrastructure development demand urgent attention. Lakeland is now embarking on
a thoughtful shaping of its future, joining a growing community of people who
believe engagement with
our world need not be one of domination. Rather, it can
and should be one of shared space, nurturing and returning benefit to the
natural and human environment.
Lakeland officials have wisely developed a mission statement and strategic
plan to
help capture and remain faithful to a shared vision for the future of the
Lakeland community. The municipal
government has
produced a strong tree
protection ordinance, stream-side buffer ordinance, and controls on land
disturbance and surface water management.