This mural, located on the side of Davis Chiropractic, is 38' long and 8' high. It tells the story of the beginning of the caladium story in Lake Placid. "Captain" T.W.Webb was one of the first caladium growers in the 1930's. Capt. Webb discovered these bulbs, native to the Amazon River Valley of South America, on a visit to Tampa. He brought some of them home, put them in the ground, and some 80 years later, the sale of caladiums represents a multi-million dollar industry and the bulbs are sold around the world.
In addition to cultivating his 10 acres of caladiums, he also opened the town's first service station in 1924. This was the only station between Sebring and West Palm Beach. His Studebaker was one of the first cars in town. He also sponsored Golden Gloves boxing and built a boxing ring next to the service station to give folks something fun to do or watch. They called the events "The Thursday Night Fights".
In addition to all of this - he was the town's first Boy Scout Scoutmaster! I think it is entirely fitting that he have his very own mural!
Linking to Monday Murals.
20 comments:
i've always enjoyed murals ... they always seem to have a story & it's like you get a chance to get into the painter/artist's mind for a moment or two. i wonder how it all begins does some one have input or do they get to make the whole plan? too cool. (:
great photos... really interesting story!
who would have thought a few planted bulbs would become such a huge business?!
Absolutely Linda, I love a mural that tells such a relevant story. Capt. Webb certainly was a community minded citizen.
I had a beautiful one in our front yard....then, one winter, even covering it and trying to protect it....we had a hard freeze for this area of the South, and it never did come back to life. :o(
I so love these mural shares and the stories you add.
A beautifully done mural. Thanks for sharing the info too.
This shows us that graffiti murals can be educational too.
What an absolutely fascinating story. I will never look at caladiums again the same way. How really amazing. I must admit, my grandfather sold the first studebaker in his town, so I can really relate to the history on this one.
he certainly left his mark on that area - glad they put his mark on a mural for all to see. :)
We have Thursday Cruise Nights were one can see old Studebakers. No boxing though. and sadly, no outdoor caladiums, either.
What a cool mural! And with some history. I like the work that went into that.
Nice story and you can see how a total uninspired building facade can become a joy to look at. Thanks for showing.
What a great mural and story.
That is a beautiful mural! Nice story, too.
It certainly tells his story well!
Linda, neat story and post. The mural is really cool.
Fabulous mural and history. Never wondered before where caladiums came from. Now I know. My eye, however, really was captured by the boxing scene. Reminds me of the work of Midwest artists like De Martelly and Thomas Hart Benton. After learning Capt. Webb's story, no one can say a single individual cannot have a large impact on his community. Thanks for participating in this week's Monday Mural.
He deserves a mural and this one is awesome as it is very realistic.
that's amazing!
Interesting story and the kind of man that most communities would love to have as a neighbor.
Wonderful photos of this mural as well. I did not know all this about the caladiums.
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