Indian Lake Estates is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Polk County,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, United States. Indian Lake Estates is located on the eastern shore of

Lake Weohyakapka Lake Weohyakapka is a lake in Polk County, Florida, in the United States. The name is derived from the Creek language, most likely meaning "walking on water". The turpentine settlement of Walinwa (Walk In Water) was once located by the lake and w ...

(Lake Walk-in-Water), east-southeast of

Lake Wales Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,361 at the 2020 census. History Early history A survey by W.A. Williams and J ...

History

El Dorado Estates, Inc. was incorporated in January 1955, with Washington, D.C. real estate developer Leon Ackerman as its only shareholder. In October 1955, the company's name was changed to Indian Lake Estates, Inc. and it purchased a large tract of undeveloped land on the shores of Lake Walk-in-Water, about 19 miles southeast of

. The company purchased the 12-square-mile tract for $222,000, or roughly $35 per acre. Ackerman envisioned an exclusive gated community of 15,000 residents, complete with golf course, country club, marina, and pier on Lake Walk-in-Water. In December 1955, the first plat of the 7,200-acre community was recorded at the county courthouse. The company invested millions to build a network of canals near the lake, a quarter-mile pier, and 200 miles of roads throughout the development, of which 98 miles are paved. Prices for half-acre lots in the community started at $2,250. However, most of the buyers of plots were land speculators and only about 150 homes were built in the initial years after the community was founded. By 1959, financial problems seemed imminent and the following year Ackerman sold his interest in the company to Alaska Oil & Mineral Company, Inc. However, the Indian Lake Estates, Inc. went bankrupt in April 1965. As of 2009, there are about 700 homes, mostly near the lake or golf course, on the community's over 8,000 lots.

Notable residents

* Harold Edward "Red" Grange (1959–1991)

References

External links

Unincorporated communities in Polk County, Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida {{PolkCountyFL-geo-stub