1885 – The City of Lakeland was incorporated on this date. Situated in Polk County along the Interstate-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando, it is the largest city in the county. The area was first settled in the 1870s when rail lines began reaching south into the interior portion of the peninsula, but it was not until 1882 when a resident of Kentucky by the name of Abraham Munn purchased land in what is now downtown, and plotted out a city that Lakeland got its start. Citrus, cattle and phosphate mining became major industries in the Lakeland area, and in many ways still are. Many tourists flocked to Lakeland during the winter months adding to the growth and development of the city in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Lakeland is the home of Publix Supermarkets, a regional chain of supermarkets which started in Polk County in 1930 and now covers the southeastern U.S. Lakeland is also the home of Florida Southern College, founded in 1883, a private college which features the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. Lakeland has also been the spring training location of the Major League Baseball team the Detroit Tigers since 1966.