Museum of the Glades facts for kids

The Lawrence E. Will Museum is a history museum located in Belle Glade, Florida. It is managed by the Glades Historical Society. This museum shares the story of the Glades area. You can learn about the first people who lived here thousands of years ago. It also covers the Seminoles, early settlers, and old farming tools. The museum shows how people lived through big hurricanes in the 1900s. It keeps records of local history up to the 1960s. Belle Glade is in Palm Beach County. It sits on the edge of Lake Okeechobee. This area is part of the Everglades farming region. The museum is a member of the American Association for State and Local History.

Museum History

The museum started as a non-profit group in 1976. This was part of a celebration for America's 200th birthday. The museum's collection was first kept at the Belle Glade Branch Library. This library is part of the Palm Beach County Library System. In 2013, the library moved to a new spot.

Who Was Lawrence E. Will?

Lawrence E. Will was a key person in starting the museum's collection. His father, Theodore Will, was an early settler in the Glades. Lawrence collected his own research, photos, and writings. These showed what pioneer life was like in the area. He wrote six books about Lake Okeechobee and the northern Everglades. His books were based on real stories he heard. He interviewed people while working on boats and dredges in the Everglades. Two of his most famous books are A Cracker History of Okeechobee and the 1928 Hurricane-Okeechobee Hurricane and the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Discovering Ancient Cultures

In the 1930s, a group called the Works Progress Administration worked with the Smithsonian. They dug up an ancient mound near Belle Glade. Archeologists found a special site with artifacts over 3,000 years old. These items helped explain the culture of ancient communities. These people are known as the "Belle Glade People". They had a thriving culture until the mid-1700s.

More artifacts were found after another dig in 1977 at the Belle Glade Mound. These included pottery, shells, and bones. In 2012, an archeologist finished studying the Belle Glade Mound Collection at the Smithsonian. This research focused on the ancient Native Americans who lived here from 700 AD to 1500 AD. For many years, Dr. Joseph Orsenigo took care of these historical items. He passed away in 2009. In 2012, the Belle Glade Historical Society changed its name. It became the Museum of the Glades.

Archaeological Significance

The Belle Glade Culture was a successful group of people. They lived from about 500 BC to 1500 AD. These early people were very organized. They also had a large trade network with other tribes in Florida. In the 1930s, archeologists dug up the Belle Glade Mound. This was the first large mound site to be uncovered in the area.