Where did the swans come from?
Swans were reported to be on the city’s lakes as early as 1923. Most likely, those early swans had been purchased as pets by lake front residents, who later released them on the lakes. By 1954 the last of these swans and their descendants had died, haven fallen prey to people, pet dogs, and/or alligators. A Lakeland resident, Mrs Robert Pickardt who had enjoyed the swans and mourned their passing, wrote to Queen Elizabeth of England and inquired about purchasing a pair of swans from the royal flock on the Thames River. A representative of the royal family replied that the Queen would donate a pair of swans to Lakeland if the city would pay the cost of capturing and shipping the swans to the US. The money was raised for shipping the swans, and two white mute swans were released on Lake Morton on February 9, 1957. Their descendants continue to grace Lake Morton and other lakes throughout the city.
