Glades County is located in alongside Lake Okeechobee in the center of southern Florida. This rural county named for the Florida Everglades is home to around 12,600 people. The county seat is Moore Haven which is in the southeast portion of the county.
Formed in 1921 from DeSoto County, Glades County used to be home to many indigenous people before disease brought from the Europeans and warfare diminished their numbers. The land was also home to Spaniards, Seminole Indians, and then predominantly Americans after the Seminole Wars. Remnants of the Seminole Indians still exist in the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation and friendly relations now exist between them and the other inhabitants of the county. Glades County celebrates this multicultural history and partnership each year with the Chalo Nitka Festival.
Glades County is home to a section of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. The existence of this lake in the county is a great asset, not only bringing economic prosperity through tourism, but also providing a wonderful place for residents of the county to recreate in their free time. Outdoor activities abound at the lake bringing families and the community together.
Members of the community take pride in maintaining their parks and community centers. Indeed, it is rare to find communities anywhere that care as much about the citizens and families that make up Glades County. The landscape of the county, its people, its rich cultural heritage, and its emphasis on community combine to make Glades County one of a kind.