December 10, 2025 | Lakewood Ranch
Long before it became home to one of the nation’s most admired master-planned communities, the place known today as Lakewood Ranch supported a tapestry of Florida enterprise—from timber and cattle, agriculture, shell mining, and water management to recreation. This new book, Lakewood Ranch: A Legacy of Living with the Land, is a nod to Florida’s pioneering history, uncovering how American innovation and perseverance fostered intentional and careful growth, honoring what came before while building for the future.
The story begins in 1846, when the Uihlein family emigrated from Germany to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to establish a brewery that would later become part of America’s brewing heritage. Their journey eventually led them to Florida’s Suncoast, where the land that now encompasses Lakewood Ranch supported thriving timber, agricultural, and shell mining operations. Faced with threats of uninvited uses, including a new airport and landfill site, the family responded with foresight—developing a deliberate, long-term plan to transform the property into the nation’s leading multigenerational community…