THE HOME TOWN NETWORK, Lake PLacid Florida

Lake Placid Was Born Of Dreams
LAKE PLACID - How does a town get started? Usually when a person or group of people "falls in love" with an area and promotes it. Oliver M. Crosby founded Avon Park, and George Sebring did the same for Sebring. In Researching the story of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. for last weeks column, I reread a story I had found some years ago about Walter F. Coachman. Coachman was an original director of Consolidated in 1902, and he served as president from 1908 to 1913 and as chairman of the board until 1940. The story I found was about Coachman's influence in the development of Highlands County, particularly Lake Placid. His interest in the Heartland began at the turn of the century when Consolidated Naval Stores Co. - a turpentine products company - purchased the remainder of the Hamilton Disston estate, approximately 1.2 million acres of Florida timberland. Disston a Philadelphia toolmaker, had purchased the land in 1881 from the state for 25 cents an acre with the intention of draining the wetlands and developing the rest. Disston died in 1894, however, after several financial setbacks and never completed his plans. In the early 1920's the citrus industry in Florida looked very promising, and in March 1920 the directors of Consolidated organized the Lake Childs Company to develop lands adjacent to and near Lake Childs, which is now called Lake Placid Consolidated sold 538 acres to the new company and additional purchases were made from other, private land owners to bring the total to 976 acres. W.N Brown an engineer from Washington, D.C., was employed to make a survey and to draw the necessary maps for a highway around Lake Childs. He also was asked to draw plans for a development. Each of the 10-acre lots in the development was to have citrus trees of different varieties, including pineapple, orange, tangerine and grapefruit. It was thought that the trees would very attractive landscaping that would especially appeal to retired people coming to Florida. According, Albert DeVane was employed to prepare the land and set out the citrus groves for the lots. DeVane was the brother of A.H.DeVane, who had earlier platted the town of Lake Sterns, now Lake Placid for the Polk County based Lake Groves Co. But getting the retired people who came to Florida each winter to visit the central part of the state was a major problem - most went to the coasts. Coachman was very enthusiastic about the beauty of the company's land in Highlands County - so to show it off, he invited 160 of the business and political leaders of Florida to accompany him on a special tour in December of 1920.	By special train and automobiles, guests were given a three-day trip through the "Scenic Highlands". The guest list was impressive, and the guests were impressed with what they saw. At the end of the tour, they presented Coachman with an inscribed, sterling silver tray "...in sincere appreciation and friendship". As a result, many became future promoters of the Highlands. It was through the efforts of Coachman and Calvin Fentress, a director of Consolidated, that Melville Dewey, the famous American librarian and developer of the Dewey Decimal System of library cataloging, became interested in the area. Dewey, owner of the Lake Placid Club of New York, also toured the area and was convinced to establish a Lake Placid Club of the South near Lake Childs. On March 2, 1927, a committee of four - Fentress, Coachman, Consolidated president W.J. Kelly and C.H. Worcester, one of Consolidated's directors - was appointed to work out the negotiations. The negotiations were long and hard, according to Martha Lauderback, who wrote the history of Consolidated called "Consolidated, a partial story". But the arguments were finally worked out. As outlined by Lauderback, the agreement included these terms: The name of the town, Lake Stearns, would be changed to Town of Lake Placid. The Names of lakes Stearns and Childs would be changed to Lake June-in-Winter and Lake Placid respectively. The Town of Lake Placid would pave streets and put in improvements, such as a water system. It also would purchase approximately 129 acres from Consolidated Land Co., on which would construct a golf course and clubhouse on the shore of Lake June-in-Winter. In addition, The Consolidated Naval Stores Co. guaranteed $50,000. in club memberships to Dewey. Dewey agreed to construct buildings and other improvements and open the Lake Placid Club South. Plans were ambitious, but with the break of the Florida land boom in the late 1920's and the collapse of the National stock market leading to the Great Depression, there were many insurmountable problems. Dewey passed away in 1931 without ever seeing the fulfillment of his plans.

Lake Placid Was

Born Of Dreams

LAKE PLACID - How does a town get started?
Usually when a person or group of people "falls in love" with an area and promotes it.
Oliver M. Crosby founded Avon Park, and George Sebring did the same for Sebring.
In Researching the story of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. for last weeks column, I reread a story I had found some years ago about Walter F. Coachman. Coachman was an original director of Consolidated in 1902, and he served as president from 1908 to 1913 and as chairman of the board until 1940.
The story I found was about Coachman's influence in the development of Highlands County, particularly Lake Placid.
His interest in the Heartland began at the turn of the century when Consolidated Naval Stores Co. - a turpentine products company - purchased the remainder of the Hamilton Disston estate, approximately 1.2 million acres of Florida timberland.
Disston a Philadelphia toolmaker, had purchased the land in 1881 from the state for 25 cents an acre with the intention of draining the wetlands and developing the rest. Disston died in 1894, however, after several financial setbacks and never completed his plans.
In the early 1920's the citrus industry in Florida looked very promising, and in March 1920 the directors of Consolidated organized the Lake Childs Company to develop lands adjacent to and near Lake Childs, which is now called Lake Placid Consolidated sold 538 acres to the new company and additional purchases were made from other, private land owners to bring the total to 976 acres.
W.N Brown an engineer from Washington, D.C., was employed to make a survey and to draw the necessary maps for a highway around Lake Childs. He also was asked to draw plans for a development.
Each of the 10-acre lots in the development was to have citrus trees of different varieties, including pineapple, orange, tangerine and grapefruit. It was thought that the trees would very attractive landscaping that would especially appeal to retired people coming to Florida.
According, Albert DeVane was employed to prepare the land and set out the citrus groves for the lots. DeVane was the brother of A.H.DeVane, who had earlier platted the town of Lake Sterns, now Lake Placid for the Polk County based Lake Groves Co.
But getting the retired people who came to Florida each winter to visit the central part of the state was a major problem - most went to the coasts.
Coachman was very enthusiastic about the beauty of the company's land in Highlands County - so to show it off, he invited 160 of the business and political leaders of Florida to accompany him on a special tour in December of 1920.

By special train and automobiles, guests were given a three-day trip through the "Scenic Highlands". The guest list was impressive, and the guests were impressed with what they saw.
At the end of the tour, they presented Coachman with an inscribed, sterling silver tray "...in sincere appreciation and friendship". As a result, many became future promoters of the Highlands.
It was through the efforts of Coachman and Calvin Fentress, a director of Consolidated, that Melville Dewey, the famous American librarian and developer of the Dewey Decimal System of library cataloging, became interested in the area.
Dewey, owner of the Lake Placid Club of New York, also toured the area and was convinced to establish a Lake Placid Club of the South near Lake Childs.
On March 2, 1927, a committee of four - Fentress, Coachman, Consolidated president W.J. Kelly and C.H. Worcester, one of Consolidated's directors - was appointed to work out the negotiations. The negotiations were long and hard, according to Martha Lauderback, who wrote the history of Consolidated called "Consolidated, a partial story".
But the arguments were finally worked out. As outlined by Lauderback, the agreement included these terms:

The name of the town, Lake Stearns, would be changed to Town of Lake Placid.
The Names of lakes Stearns and Childs would be changed to Lake June-in-Winter and Lake Placid respectively.
The Town of Lake Placid would pave streets and put in improvements, such as a water system.

It also would purchase approximately 129 acres from Consolidated Land Co., on which would construct a golf course and clubhouse on the shore of Lake June-in-Winter.
In addition, The Consolidated Naval Stores Co. guaranteed $50,000. in club memberships to Dewey. Dewey agreed to construct buildings and other improvements and open the Lake Placid Club South.
Plans were ambitious, but with the break of the Florida land boom in the late 1920's and the collapse of the National stock market leading to the Great Depression, there were many insurmountable problems.
Dewey passed away in 1931 without ever seeing the fulfillment of his plans.

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