Mimi Hardman moved to Lake Wales in 1965 and will long be remembered as the founder and director of the Depot Museum and host of the annual Pioneer Days festival. Hardman spearheaded the effort to restore and convert an abandoned CSX railroad depot into the city’s first museum with a mission to preserve, safeguard, and share the historical records of the life, people, and places of Lake Wales. Hardman created and oversaw the first Pioneer Day in 1976; Pioneer Day became an annual celebration of the early settlers of Lake Wales and over the years, the event grew into a two-day affair attracting thousands of people.
Hardman was appointed by Governor Martinez to the Division of Cultural Affairs’ Florida Council on Arts and Culture and in 1999, she was presented with the Historic Preservation Award for Individual Achievement from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
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