Indexes

Lakeland Shores is a small, mostly residential city with a population of about 355 in 2000. Fronting the St. Croix River and surrounded by the City of Lakeland, this small community shares the history of Lakeland and Lakeland Township.

While the lumbering center of Lakeland grew up around the ferry crossing to Hudson, the land to the south remained rural. Most of what is now Lakeland Shores was once a single farm owned by William and Mary Jones.

In the 1940s the Jones family had the farm surveyed and began selling off 100- to 150-foot lots fronting the St. Croix River on Lakeland Shores Road, which follows the old railroad right of way. Transforming so much land from agriculture to residential uses greatly changed the dynamics of the town and led to a dramatic increase in taxes for the local residents. In protest of the high taxes, and to protect their lifestyle, area residents incorporated their own village, Lakeland Shores, in 1949.

The community has stayed quiet and residential. Spread out on 443 acres between the river and County Road 18, the city has no industry or shopping, but is close to those facilities in other cities along the river. There is not even a city hall; the Council holds meetings in Lakeland City Hall.

Lakeland Shores became a city in 1974. A strictly residential community on the St. Croix River, it is surrounded by the City of Lakeland.

Relevant Online Indexes