Windmillrun Ramblings: February 2007

Today was such a pretty day, that we decided to take the opportunity to sight see and go see this little town. The brochures were intriguing. It's a really cool little town started by Dr.Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System. Seems he liked the town of the same name in NY so much that he wanted to recreate it down south, as a warmer retreat for his wealthy friends. So after much to do...and, help from the wealthy locals, this town began. It's also known as the Caladium Capitol of the world. The coolest thing, to me, is that there are lots of historical murals painted on the sides of buildings throughout the town - about 39 of them. And, in addition, there are bird paintings, clown paintings (there's a clown school here called Toby's Clown School), and the most wonderful trash cans imaginable! Lots of pictures to follow:

This a mural of E.C. Stuart.

"He was a very prominent man who, in 1925 founded both the Tropical State Bank and the Stuart Arcade Hotel. He was also president of Tropical Investment Company which owned 3000 acres in the Lake Stearns area. He, along with other land companies, made available 3000 acres of land to Dr. Melvil Dewey to start the Lake Placid Club south. This resulted in the town's name being changed from Lake Stearns to Lake Placid. Stuart Park on Interlake Blvd was named in his honor."

Tropical Bank Robbery.

"The mural depicts the first bank robbery in Lake Placid. It happened in September, 1931. Ten-year-old Grady Parrish was waiting for a haircut in R.T. Morgan's Barber Shop. Mrs. T. W. Loftin, Sr., getting her hair cut, pointed out two men passing by the shop wearing wigs, one red, one black. Young Grady waited as long as he could before curiosity got the best of him, and he went outside to follow what he thought were men from the circus. By that time, the men had entered the Tropical State Bank, next door, and were holding up the bank manager, B.F. Williams, and tellers Myra McCauley and Helen Thomas. Young Parrish ran to tell his Daddy, O.C. Parrish, Sr., who told him to 'Go get Tom.' Tom was Town Marshall, Tom Bozeman. As Grady raced to the Bozeman home, Tom responded to his shouts and came out the door strapping on his weapon. Stopping by the town office, he picked up a shotgun and proceeded to the bank, accompanied by the senior Parish. Arriving at the bank with guns cocked as the hold-up men were trying to make their get-a-way, Bozeman was forced to shoot one of the robbers before both were captured. Later Bozeman was given $100.00 by the bank owners for capturing the bandits, and Grady was rewarded $10.00 for his part in foiling the crime. The mural is painted on the spot where the Tropical State Bank was located. The original building was destroyed in a 1991 fire, which ravaged most of the buildings in the block of Main Avenue from Interlake Boulevard to Park Street."

This is a life-sized bronze Florida Black Bear and Cub, sculpted by Edward Chesney from Detroit, Michigan. It weighs approximately 400 pounds. It's situated in Stuart Park. Florida was one of the best bear hunting territories in the country at one time.

The Lost Bear Cub.

"Lake Placid was once one of the best bear-hunting grounds in southern Florida. The territory around Lake Istokpoga and along the edge of sandhills was often too thickly grown to allow penetration by both man and dog. This presented a perfect haven for bears to raise their young. The area was rich with palmetto berries and acorns, filled with yellow jacket and bumblebee nests along the bay galls, and had acres of huckleberries and blueberries, which meant bears had plenty to eat and grow fat. When settlers moved into the area, they brought cattle and razorback hogs. Unfortunately, the bears liked fresh pork and beef. Out of necessity, these pioneers became bear hunters. During the first hunt, 34 bears were killed; and some old timers boasted killing over 200 bears during their lifetimes. The meat proved excellent whether eaten fresh, salted, jerked or dried; bear grease far surpassed hog lard for cooking. It took a great deal of nerve to stand directly in front of a large black bear running through the dense woods directly at you and take a shot. Occasionally, a mother bear was killed and left several unattended cubs. These cubs were sometimes taken and kept for pets and became very friendly."

Standing near this mural, you can actually hear the bears growling and the bees buzzing. Really neat! And, as you can see, this trash can is dedicated to these bears...and, is situated very near the above mural.

A mural of Dr. Melvil Dewey. The booklet says the following about him and this wonderful little town:

" Educator, librarian, developer, visionary, and Dewey Decimal System inventor, Dr. Melvil Dewey's legacy lives on. In 1895, Dewey built a summer resort for his wealthy friends at a place called Lake Placid, N.Y. About 35 years later, he discovered a place he thought well-suited for a winter resort for these wealthy friends. In 1927, he convinced the Florida state legislator to change the name of the town of Lake Stearns to Lake Placid, and this town has never been the same. ...He built a sprawling lodge of Lake Childs and the lake's name changed to Lake Placid. He had the name of Lake Stearns changed to Lake-June-In-Winter. He convinced the railroad to build a new depot. He added another hotel in town, built the town's water tower, and maintained his own beautification project. ...Dewey died the day after Christmas, 1931. The funeral service was held in the Lake Placid First Presbyterian Church. His ashes were returned for burial in Essex County, N.Y."

Tea at Southwinds. This was the Lake Placid Mural Society's first mural and was dedicated on May 15, 1993. This was the resort of Dr. Dewey which he originally called "Litl Loj" and was later renamed Southwinds. These were the glory days of Lake Placid where the rich and famous came to play. Talk of the Town.

"This mural depicts a documented phone call between Dr. Dewey's wife, Emily, and Dr. Alfred Eide on December 26, 1931. Dr. Dewey rose earlier than usual Mrs. Dewey stated, and called her. They were discussing club matters when his talk suddenly became unintelligible. This was followed by a loss of consciousness. Dr. Alfred Eide was called. Dr. Dewey never fully regained consciousness. Florence Nowling Booker was Lake Placid's chief telephone operator from 1930 to 1935."

Caladium Fields.

"Lake Placid is the Caladium Capitol of the World where 95% of the world's caladiums grow. The annual Caladium Festival draws thousands of people to see the acres of color in the fields. Caladiums were brought here from the Amazon River Valley of South America. They are now a thriving and important local industry and are cultivated on more than 1500 acres here and are shipped nationwide, especially to southern states and overseas to South Africa, Turkey, Spain, Pakistan, and all over Europe. A large area of caladium farming spreads across the rich dark soil south of Lake Istokpoga. You can see these fields by traveling east on Country Road 621. In late summer and early fall when the crop is mature, the wide-ranging landscape is a tapestry of bright red, pink, and white and all the shades in between. "

Here are 2 internet sites that I found for buying caladium bulbs, if you're interested:

http://www.caladiumsonline.com/ and http://www.happinessfarms.com/

"Captain" T.W. Webb.

"Theodore Webb discovered caladium bulbs while visiting Tampa in the 1930s. He brought some home, threw them in the ground and about 60 years later, caladiums are a multi-million dollar industry in the Lake Placid area. He did more, however, than cultivate his 10 acres of commercial caladiums in the 1930s. He opened the town's first service station in 1924, the only one between Sebring and West Palm Beach. His Studebaker was one of the first cars in town. He sponsored Golden Gloves boxing and built a boxing ring adjacent to the service station to give folks something fun to do or watch. It was call 'The Thursday Night Fights'. As popular as he was around town for his boxing ring and his quality tires, Webb's heart was in horticulture. The town hired him to replant and recondition the public golf course where Tomoka Heights is today. He served on the town council the year the town changed its name from Lake Stearn to Lake Placid. Webb worked with new procedures transplanting and propagating native trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants. He built a rock garden where the DeVane Park gazebo now stands. He had the first certified Red Cross station in our area and instructed Red Cross first aid and water safety lifesaving to residents of Highlands County and the Brighton Indian Reservation. And, he was the town's first Boy Scout Scoutmaster."

This wonderful trash can depicts the beautiful caladium. It stands outside the Chamber of Commerce building that houses the Lake Placid Mural Society's "Mural Gallery". They have a video show there that describes the region and also have the original mural "paintings" , the artwork that is submitted for approval before being applied to the building sides. Once the murals are painted, they're sealed with 3 coats of sealer that is renewed every couple of years, to protect the paintings from the weather. There is also a mural info website, if you're interested:

http://www.lakeplacid-florida.com/murals.shtml

Turpentine Industry.

"Walter Coachman and a man named W. T. Sessions probably did more than any others to create jobs in this area around the turn of the century. Their industry was turpentine and their customers included owners of wooden ships that required pine gum caulking for their vessels. Thus was born Coachman's Consolidated Naval Stores that owned more than 2 million acres of the state's finest pine forests. In camps recalled by this mural, and scattered throughout this region, workers collected gum that was distilled into turpentine widely sold across America. The extraction process is shown as a worker, known as a 'chipper', removes bark and cuts a pattern called 'cat faces.' The bark was so strong, virgin trees sometimes required two chippers using the same axe to reach the gum. Inserted into the gash, a metal strip served to direct the gum into clay Herty pots. The pots were emptied into barrels that were lifted onto wagons drawn by mules to the stills where turpentine was refined. Coachman became a prime developer in this area. Consolidated remains a leader in the real estate and agricultural development. Members of his family still call Lake Placid home."

And here's the wonderful trash can, obviously dedicated to this industry. You can see that the opening to the can is embedded in the word "gum".

Our Citrus Heritage.

" The Spaniards brought orange seeds to Florida about half a millennium ago. The first orange tree seeds were planted in the Lake Placid area by Seminole Indians, and by the first white settler Joshua Lastinger. Over a hundred years old, some of these trees still produce fruit and stand on C.R. 17, just past the new bridge north of town. Today, more than 100,000 Highlands County acres hold over 91 million citrus trees that produce over 30 million, 90-pound boxes of oranges. About 80% of all the orange juice consumed by Americans comes from this region. This mural is painted on a wall at the crossroads of Florida's citrus industry. Although the citrus industry has historically encountered dangerous frosts and times of drought, fortunately, agricultural research has produced better ways to irrigate trees and protect fruit from freezing temperatures. As a result of this research, trees are more productive and disease-resistant. Strides have been made toward better equipment, transportation, and processing the fruit. The industry employs more than 3000 full-time workers and another 10000 part-time employees during the harvesting and processing season. Altogether, more than $225 million a year is pumped into our area's economy from our historic citrus industry."

And, The Old Post Office.

"It was supposed to have been a routine mail delivery. After all, on a regular basis, mail was transported from Arcadia to Lake Placid and back, two days each way. It took a couple of mules pulling a wagon to get the job done. Along the way, and about four miles south of the Lake Placid Post Office, small Buck Lake was a great place to stop and let the mules get a drink. So, there wasn't any reason for the mail carrier to be concerned. But, on this particular day, something frightened the mules and they bolted. The whole rig, the mail and the mules all plunged into the lake that reaches over 60 feet at its deepest. Divers say what remains of that accident lies at the bottom of Buck Lake to this day. This mural commemorates that tragic event. But it also honors John J. Hoy, Lake Placid Postmaster for 19 years, beginning in 1953. He saw the first canceling machine arrive and a year later, a postage meter was installed. He served as president of the National Association of Postmasters, Florida Chapter. Our first post office was built in a day. On February 5, 1919, folks brought their drygoods boxes and constructed the the office over by the railroad depot. Two years later, Angus McCuley got the post office moved into his store and became postmaster. The following year, in February, postal service was handled out of the Arcade Hotel at Interlake Blvd and Main Avenue. While Hoy was postmaster, the building that hosts this mural was built in 1963. The old post office building now houses the Greater Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center, the Mural Society, and the Lake Placid Board of Realtors."

There are lots more murals depicting different aspects of the town and local area. But, I think there has been enough of my time spent putting these down. If you're interested in learning more about them...you can visit the web site I put in above.

Also, there are about 4 dozen bird pictures painted on the walls in the business district. All the ones that we saw were painted by Jayne Ford and noted which year they were painted:

These are just a few of them...to give you a good idea of how pretty they are!

And, here are a few more pictures of some of the great trash cans...these are truly unbelievable!

This car trash can even has sound effects: when you push in the flap to put trash inside, it sounds like the car's starting and the engine is revving! Amazing!

After our walk around town, we stopped at a little restaurant on Interlake Blvd called The Placid Pastry Shoppe. Peter had the best Philly Cheese Steak sandwich that he's had outside of Philadelphia yet, he says. It was a really cool place:

This is the mural painted on the wall, inside the restaurant.

Then, on the way home, I had to get pictures of the orange groves...and, the truck carrying all those picked oranges to whereever they carry them:

We came to Orlando to spend a couple of days here with Pete, Jen and the girls, Ellie and Kate. Such a great time! And. lots and lots of excitement! Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had a couple of nice days. The kids had "appointments" for special events with the Disney characters for the first day or two that we were there, so Peter and I went to Sea World. It's really wonderful...and, we really enjoyed our day there. I hadn't ever been there...but, Peter had...about 30 years ago, he said. We saw some flamingos:

The highlight of the day was the show with Shamu, the great killer whale:

He may be billed as a "killer whale", but he sure seemed like a gentle giant to me. He even gives kisses to the trainer!

Then we were able to see dolphins up close:

Then the seals:

And, finally, sea turtles:

The next day we met the kids at Animal Kingdom - this is the part of Disney World that Peter and I like best...and Epcot, too. The African Safari is tremendous...we saw lots of animals this year. The day was nice and warm and sunny...guess that brings them out of hiding! It brings us out of hiding!!!!!

We saw this guy last year when we were here...he carried his "blankie" around with him when he changed places...and, his blanket is still here! I edited it out of the picture, but it was lying on the ground to the left of him...just in position to be moved to the next location! After we finished with the Safari, Ellie had her face painted:

She looked soooo pretty! Kate wasn't sure about the whole thing:

They're both such Sweeties! We enjoyed being with them so much...and, their mom and dad, too! Then, of course, we had to pay a visit to the petting zoo...

I'm not sure what Kate's looking at...maybe she's wondering what that tuft of hair is doing under there! Or, maybe she's just trying to get him to look at her. He didn't seem to be too excited about all this. When we went over to Epcot, Peter, Pete and I got on that Space Mission ride. Peter was on it last year and loved it so much. I found out that he always wanted to be an astronaut...amazing, the things we learn every day about our spouses! Anyway, when we got on the ride last year, it sort of made him feel sick afterwards. And, since then, we've read that a child died after getting on it. So, of course, I told Peter he absolutely could not get on it again! I think the thing is that they spin you around really fast so it simulates the G forces for you...and, I guess that does weird things to your circulatory system. But this year we discovered they have a "light" version of the same ride. So, we did that and it seemed just a good as the other...and, none of us felt bad afterwards. Peter, of course, loved it! If you're claustrophobic at all, though, it's probably not the best ride to get on. The kids then left us to do other kid-friendly things, and Peter and I went on the Race Track ride. Peter didn't think it was really a big deal (he'd been on it last year), but I really liked it. Epcot...at night: