CROOKED LAKE DEVELOPMENT CO.

A TRIP TO
NATURE'S GARDEN
 








   "You must leave at once, and the best place to go is to Crooked Lake, the healthiest place I know."

     "But, I have not enough money."

     "You don’t need much money. If you take this opportunity, you will even be money ahead by spring, compared to your expenses right here in the city. You cannot realize how much good it will do you. The big lake, the great old pine-clad hills, the sunsets, the smell of pines, the fragrance of flowers, the cool breezes, the songs of birds—all will be a healthy stimulant for your tired brain and worn out nerves."

   "Doctor, the trip will cost too much. Hotels are terribly expensive."

     "Don’t stay at a hotel—for what you might spend on the regulation hotel trip you can get a good lot at Crooked Lake—plant your own trees and garden—and make your trip pay for itself each winter. Don’t let me see you again till next summer. and I will be surprised if I see you here then—the charm of the place will get you and you will stay. Here, this book tells you how to get there. Take it and read it through. Goodbye."













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     "This" was the folder which you are reading now. Let us read the facts briefly stated and see if this Doctor gives good advice.


HOW TO REACH CROOKED LAKE

   Connect from Eastern States with the magni- ficent through trains of the Atlantic Coast Line Rail- way leaving daily for Florida.

    Connect from any Ohio point with the splendidly appointed L. & N. Ry.’s "Florida Limited," leaving Cleveland every midnight after October lst. (Sleep- ing cars ready at 9:00 P. M. in Union Depot.)

     Arrive Jacksonville, Fla., 30 hours later and after a day of sightseeing in Jacksonville, take the Atlantic Coast Line Ry. through Pullman train, leaving every evening for Crooked Lake, Haines City, Lakeland and Tampa. At 6:00 in the morn- ing, change cars (at Haines City or Lakeland) for Crooked Lake Express, and arrive at Crooked Lake after a 30 mile up-grade run from Haines City. The full round trip return fare from Cleveland (winter excursion ticket) is $36.60. lt is possible also to buy a long mileage ticket which materially reduces the regular cost.

LOCATION

    Crooked Lake is in Polk County, Fla., on the apex of the famous "backbone of Florida," a short, narrow, high plateau—about 60 miles distant from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Guf of Mexico. The station of Crooked Lake is on the A. C. L. Ry. about 200 miles southwest of Jacksonville and about 60 miles northeast of Tampa and St. Petersburg.


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ALTITUDE

   The surface of Crooked Lake is over 132 feet above sea level. Mr. Cody’s lands rise terrace-like from the south and east shores to an altitude at the highest point of nearly 150 feet above the level of the lake, or nearly 300 feet above sea level. lt is said that this point is the highest altitude in Florida, with the exception of Mt. Washington.

CLIMATE

   Owing, perhaps, partly to its elevation and the consequent mellowing effects of the air currents from the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, the climate of the Crooked Lake region is even better than the aver- age for the state or even the county at large. On the hills surrounding Crooked Lake there is abso- lutely nothing to create malaria—a well known fact, as people from the lower levels who have malaria soon find relief by coming to these hills. Bronchial troubles and many other ills will readily yield to the healthfulness of this favored place; even a few weeks’ sojourn in the clear, dry atmosphere of Crooked Lake will bring distinct relief to those who travel south to escape the damp northern winter, which is a fear to any one having bronichal trouble. But the climate of Crooked Lake must be seen, felt, breathed, luxuriated in, to be really appreciated—it combines all the joys of spring, the beauty of summer, the glory of autumn, and the exhilaration of winter.

   At this moment the only statistics we have we quote hereunder from page 8 of the "Courier- Informant, Fall Trade Edition."



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TEMPERATURE

Kept at Bartow, Florida, by Dr. J. S. Wade, Voluntary
Observer U. S. Weather Bureau.
    1900
Min.

Max.

Mean.
Rainfall
Inches
October . . . . . . . . . 65 90 85.8   2.40
November . . . . . . . 33 86 77.2   1.61
December . . . . . . . 34 83 69.1   6.35
    1901        
January . . . . . . . . . 30 83 49.3   1.07
February . . . . . . . . 31 85 59      3.34
March . . . . . . . . . . 31 90 64      3.56
April . . . . . . . . . . . 43 89 67.3   2.33
May . . . . . . . . . . . 50 94 76      2.90
June . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 95 80.3 10.84
July . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 94 81.6   9.86
August . . . . . . . . . . 71 91 80.9 12.39
September . . . . . . . . 69 92 81.5   8.87
October 1 to 14 . . . . 66 90 78      0.12

On 17 days of October the mercury stood between 60 and 70
On   6 days of November the mercury fell below . . . .
On 13 days of December the mercury fell below . . . . .
    1901
On 10 clays of January the mercury fell below . . . . . .
On 12 clays of February the mercury fell below . . . . .
On 10 days of March the mercury fell below . . . . . . .
On 10 days of April the mercury fell below . . . . . . . .
On 17 days of May the mercury rose above . . . . . . . .
On 17 clays of June the mercury rose above . . . . . . .
On   8 days of July the mercury rose above . . . . . . . .
On   1 day of August the mercury rose above . . . . . . .
On   6 days of September the mercury rose above . . .
On 14 days of October the mercury fell below . . . . . .
On   6 days of October the mercury rose above . . . . .
50
50

50
50
50
50
90
90
90
90
90
70
80

WATER SUPPLY

     Though Crooked Lake is said to cover over an area of twenty-one square miles we know of no river or even brook emptying into it; the fact that the water level remains about the same throughout the year would also indicate that the lake is one of those rare bodies of water fed by springs only   and


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not dependent on the uncertainties and dangers of surface water. The number and volume of these subterranean springs can only be imagined when one realizes that they feed this great lake with enough water to keep up the water level and to force two outlets, one running west, making the Peace River, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico— and the other running southeast to Lake Clinch and thence to Lake Okechobee and the Atlantic Ocean. All of which would seem to doubly verify (if any proof were necessary) that our lands are the sum- mit of the entire region.

     Crooked Lake, fed by countless springs through a hard sandy bottom, furnishes an inexhaustable supply of absolutely pure drinking water.

SOIL, CROPS AND FRUIT

     This locality is peculiarly adapted to the raising of citrous fruits. With the large lakes to the west and north we have about three degrees protection over the flat woods, and the hills are sloping to the west and north, which is also favorable; so that for the last fifteen winters in which fruit has been grown here there has not been enough frost to even freeze the leaves on the trees. As to the quality and abundance of fruit, a look at the groves (adjoining these lands), which are now loaded with bright and luscious fruit, would convince the most skeptical that we have the best fruit section in the country.

     As to vegetables, we have ten acres under cul- tivation, which shows that we can raise the finest of vegetables.

     On some of our trees last year there were more than twenty-five boxes of grape fruit on a single tree. We invite the closest investigation of this matter of fruit raising and all other phases of the proposition.

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HISTORY OF
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

     After long exploration, 15 years ago, Mr. Cody, convinced of the possibilities, struck out far in ad- vance of the railroads, and purchased the lands, which, in his opinion, seemed to be the healthiest, richest and best. The history of Florida since that time is a complete endorsement of Mr. Cody’s un- erring good judgment and far-sighted choice of a land bound to prosper.

     When one reads of the millions of dollars spent in railroad development alone, in Florida, in the past ten years, one cannot help but realize that those railroad millions are never spent unless there is a certainty of their reaping millions of dollars of profits in return, from the development and com- merce and ever-increasing population.

     The railroad has crept up and up, until last year it reached the lake to which Mr. Cody blazed the trail fifteen years ago. Developments and col- onization are proceeding steadily, and a substantial growth is assured. The opening of the Panama Canal will add one more to the many features of business prospects and possibilities in Florida. The outlook for Crooked Lake is particularly bright, since, in addition to its having by far the best nat- ual resources and general qualities, there is a growing world’s demand upon the famous phos- phate deposits across the lake a few miles away from our lands. This industry will doubtless prove doubly beneficial to the Crooked Lake section.

     Having acquired the lands years ago before any rise in values, we are able to offer our lands for sale at a very reasonable figure. We have commenced development of the allotment, and contemplate the construction of a small hotel, so that prospective buyers can then find accommodation on the

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allotment. Meanwhile the buyers can enjoy the novelty of camping out—in fact many prefer the tent life for an outing. For these who buy a lot and want a house ready to step into on their arrival, it has been suggested that we should consider contracting to build small cottages at regular contract prices. We are considering an estimate whereby we may be able te turn out serviceable three-room cettages in a month or six weeks after contract, at a little below regular contract price, owing to our advan- tage in being able to cut our own timber off our own land. Substantial residences have already been erected by satisfied purchasers of our land in the vicinity of this allotment.

     Incidental to the growth of the community, a Bible Conference has been established, whose plat- form we publish herein. The Bible Conference As- sociations are to be commended for having chosen this healthiest of places for their annual Southern Conference, where the members can derive much benefit in physical health as well as in spiritual welfare and a fuller understanding of the Scriptures as preached by the Conference’s able speakers.

     We believe that we have the best lands in Flori- da and we invite full investigation by any one de- siring to purchase the highest land at the lowest prices. For full information write to either of the under-mentioned addresses.

MR. LINDUS CODY,            
Land Department,        
1514 Garfield Bldg.,    
Cleveland, Ohio

MR. LINDUS CODY,
    Frostproof, Crooked Lake,
                                        Florida.


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Nature's Garden Map

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