City: Belle Glade, FL

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (561) 996-3453

Address: 530 South Main St.

Description: In the Lawrence Will Museum, the colorful history of the towns around Lake Okeechobee comes alive. Located in the Belle Glade branch of the Palm Beach County Public Library system, the museum is a treasure-trove of lore and legend about an area not really understood by the rest of South Florida. It was built during the bicentennial year of 1976, and funded largely though local sources. Mr. Will’s father, Dr. Thomas E. Will, was an early pioneer in this region.The permanent exhibits here tell the story of the isolated communities in this area, and their ties—physically and emotionally—with the lake. There are photographs—some going back to the 1930s—showing archaeological digs in the Indian mound in the area known as Chosen. There’s a history of the 1928 hurricane, the biggest natural disaster to ever hit this area. You’ll also find a lifelike diorama of a Seminole village in the Everglades, as well as one depicting town sites in the early 1900s. There’s a mural showing the presentation of a Seminole tunic to Mr. Will by Chief Billy Bowlegs II. In addition, you’ll see notes and charts written by Mr. Will; local newspapers from the 1920s to the 1960s; an antique telephone switchboard from the Belle Glade exchange; and furnishings from the old Fear’s Hotel (gotta love that name!).