Bartow, County seat in Polk County, Florida
Bartow is a city and county seat in Polk County at the center of Florida, spreading across residential quarters and commercial zones. The streets run in a grid cut by three major highways, and the surroundings are marked by citrus groves and industrial plants.
The settlement began in 1851 as Fort Blount, a garrison by the river that offered protection from attacks. A decade later the place received its current name in honor of a commander who fell in the first months of the Civil War.
The town takes its name from a Civil War brigade commander, and the central square holds an early 20th-century courthouse with columns and a classical entrance. Residents use the parks along the Peace River for fishing and picnics, while the streets are lined with wooden and brick houses.
The town sits in a flat area with a humid subtropical climate, where the summer months often bring thunderstorms. Visitors find public parking around the main square and can reach most spots on foot or by car.
The region around the town extracts more phosphate than any other in the United States, and the traces of the mines reshape the land around the residential areas. Lake Hancock to the north feeds the Peace River, which flows through gentle hills and swamp forests.
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