Thirty minutes after seeing the town Harriet had made her decision. They would return to their home town and create a similar series of murals which would depict the history and culture of the town and surrounding area, in hopes of breathing new life into the community. When the idea was first presented, it met with skepticism. Undaunted by the obstacles looming in front of her, Harriet pushed on, finding sponsors, private funding where possible, and self funding through the sales of books and T-shirts. Ever dedicated and focused, she contacted a known artist, Tom Freeman who was instrumental in the initial guidance needed to produce the murals. In 1993, the very first mural was donated by Mr. Freeman himself, and the project had life. Over the years with Harriet at the helm, the Lake Placid Mural, Art and Cultural Society has continued the project which now hosts 30 murals by 17 different artists. Besides the murals, Lake Placid is also the Caladium capital of the world. A Caladium is a type of plant that looks like large leaves in various colors and designs. In addition to the Murals, in 1960 they constructed the Placid Tower, in order to provide a view of the beautiful lake country around Lake Placid. It rises 360 ft above sea level. Bob Porter and Glen Zuberbier, a local long haul owner-operator came up with an idea for creating a "moving mural billboard". Glen told Bob about his new trailer and offered Bob the sides of the trailer to promote the town's 26 murals. Soon the two of them were at a local sign company, Chip Off The Old Block. In no time the sign was put on the side of the truck. The Peterbilt rig stretches a total of about 70 feet, and is a moving mural billboard that has been seen over thousands of miles of the nation's highways from Florida to the Midwest and through much of the of the Southeast. The information on the trailer includes the Mural Society's internet site. Also, included on the trailer is the society's toll-free number for people along the way who want more information about Lake Placid, the town's beautiful murals, and make arrangements for mural tours. The moving mural billboard is the first of its kind in the United States.
Today, there are 26 completed murals in Lake Placid which draw thousands of visitors and give pleasure to hundreds of local residents. Each mural portrays a component in the town's rich history and the area's cultural heritage. Two more murals will be completed soon, bringing the number to 28.
Lake Placid is now a thriving little community that takes a lot of pride in itself and presents a very interesting picture to the outside world. If Dr. Dewey could only see the town today he would realize that his "dream" had been given new life through the care and vigilance of the people there today like the people in the Lake Placid Mural Society. 

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Good Luck! Have Fun! and Stay Safe!

Laura