History of Lake Placid

Lake Placid was founded in the early 1800s to develop a mining operation based on iron ore discovered nearby. By 1840, the population of "North Elba" (four miles south-east of the present village near where the road to the Adirondack Loj crosses the Ausable River) consisted of 6 families. In 1845, Gerrit Smith arrived in North Elba. He not only bought up a great deal of land around the village, he also granted large tracts to his slaves, reforming the land law and reflecting his support of Abolitionism.

The abolitionist John Brown heard about Gerrit Smith's reforms, and left his anti-slavery activities in Kansas to buy 244 acres (1.0 km²) of land, which later became known as the "Freed Slave Utopian Experiment," Timbucto. Upon his execution in 1859, John Brown asked to be buried on his farm, which is preserved as the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.

As leisure time increased in the late 19th century, Lake Placid was discovered by the rich and famous, who were drawn to the fashionable Lake Placid Club. Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, designed what was then called "Placid Park Club" in 1895 and inspired the village to change its name to Lake Placid. Dewey kept the club open through the winter in 1905, which aided the development of winter sports in the area (although nearby Saranac Lake had hosted an international winter sporting event as early as 1889). By 1921, the area could boast a ski jump, speed skating venue and ski association, and in 1929, Dr. Godfrey Dewey, Melvil's son, was able to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Lake Placid had the best winter sports facilities in the nation. ^[1] The Lake Placid Club was the headquarters for the IOC for the 1932 and the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Tourist Attractions in Lake Placid

1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum
The Museum features a video presentation, uniforms and equipment from the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games. A model of the Olympic complex is on display.

John Brown Farm State Historic Site
The restored farmhouse and a monument mark the burial spot of John Brown. John Brown (1800-1859) was an abolitionist whose attempt to free the slaves cost him his life and the life of others.

Lake Placid/North Elba Historical Society Museum
This former train station is home to historical displays of farm equipment, musical instruments, period photographs and other memorabilia. The past 200 years are chronicled.

Olympic Center
The Olympic Center features four indoor ice rinks that has hosted many events including hockey, ice shows, public skating, concerts and curling. It was built for ice events at the 1932 Olympic Games and an additional wing was added for the 1980 Games.

Olympic Jumping Center
The 26 storey tower has a glass look-out area for the public to view the start point of the skiers. United States team jumpers train and compete at the facility year-round. In the summer months, plastic surfacing covers the in-run and landing hill of the 90-meter jump to simulate snow.