Bottles, banners, bursts of joy: Lake Park marks 100th birthday by opening time capsule
LAKE PARK — A century-old bottle of wine. A historic police badge. A green-and-white 75th anniversary banner.Each represents a moment in Lake Park’s history. And each had its moment when the town turned 100 years old Nov. 16 and officials unearthed the time capsule in which they were stored.
The time capsule was first assembled in 1923 — the town’s founding year — and was buried in a metal hatch underneath the clocktower in the center of town until it was unearthed 25 years ago, when more items were added and it was buried once again.
Mayor Roger Michaud did the bulk of the time capsule unwrapping on Thursday. Its contents included a 1998 Palm Beach Post article about the town, an employee handbook and campaign materials from residents who ran for town office over the years.
Michaud said the town is what its people and all its small details have made it to be over the years, and that it is a warm place with memorable homes and small-town curb appeal.
“The Lake Park we know today is the culmination of a little bit of everyone who has passed through here,” wrote Michaud in a prepared statement.
“Our first hundred years have led us to a pretty incredible place that supports diversity and inclusion, small businesses and large corporations, a sense of history and an eye toward the future.”
Only one thing dampened the joy of the time capsule: rainwater. Items packed away in plastic bins became drenched over time. Michaud said he plans to move the items to a waterproof container and add a few mementos from the centennial year before burying the capsule again.
From The Post's archives: The rise and fall of Lake Park’s founder, Harry Kelsey
Roger Michaud wrote a report on Lake Park town hall as a student. Now he's the mayor.
The town of Lake Park this year welcomed Michaud as its first Haitian-American mayor, a significant step for a community where many residents can trace their families to the Caribbean island country.
It is the same year that the town elected Judith Thomas, its first Black council member, and the women gained the majority on the five-member council for the first time.
“People should understand the beginning of the story and treasure this town for being a quaint community with its small-town appeal,” Michaud said. “It’s a gem in the north end, and I hope to carry that forward.”
Michaud has lived in the town for over 30 years. He reminisced about a time when he was in high school and the town hall — which was constructed in 1927 — served as a fire station.
“In high school, I wrote a report on this place as a fire station,” Michaud said. “To do that as a kid and then come back here as a grown man as mayor carries a heavy heart for me.”
Brenda Star attended the time capsule event with her husband, Don McClintock. The two have had an office for their book publishing business, StarGroup International, in the town for 31 years.
Star published a small commemorative book on the town’s history this October, which was commissioned by the town.
“The book we published is a look back on the past 100 years to where we are today with all the incredible new development in the town,” said Star, who lives in West Palm Beach. “We love Lake Park. It’s adorable, and I’m a small-town girl after all.”
How North Palm Beach is growing: Village approves 147 apartments for site along U.S. 1
Lake Park's history: Winter getaway for Northeast now sees itself as a family-focused town
Lake Park was founded a century ago under the name of Kelsey City by Harry Kelsey, the then-president of Waldorf Systems, the first New England-based cafeteria chain. He sold his restaurants, bakeries and farm for $3.5 million and moved from Boston to Florida to develop the city as a winter getaway for visitors from the north.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, many residents left town under the weight of financial stress. The town was renamed Lake Park in 1939 by a local garden club that set out to revitalize the community. The town steadily grew with residents and businesses including a furniture factory, yacht docks and apartment buildings.
About 9,000 people live in the 2.4-square-mile municipality today, which is home to more than 100 businesses and a downtown arts district.
Lake Park marina: Deal with Nautilus 220 developer for improvements would eliminate $2.7 million debt
“My hopes for the future are to have more services for the community and more things for people to do here,” Michaud said. “We have a lot of new families moving in, and I hope to revive this community. When I was here as a child, there were always activities and events. I want to bring that back in our own way today.”
The next event is the town’s holiday festival Dec. 1 on the town green at the corner of Park Avenue and Ninth Street, where a light display along Park Avenue will debut.
Riunite Franks, who has worked as the town’s special events director for seven years, led the preparations for the time-capsule event.
“An anniversary of this magnitude is important because there are many municipalities as small as this that don't make it that long,” Franks said. “There was a time when this town was not doing that well financially, but we overcame that. We're still independent, successful and have so much to look forward to.”
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Park turns 100: Time capsule takes town back to its founding
