St. Cloud, Florida

Previously I had written that we had visited Lake Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee.  We learned that northeast of it is East Lake Tohopekaliga, located above the city of St.Cloud.  I do not remember anything particularly interesting at that lake, we walked around its park and then drove into St.Cloud.  It is a small town noted for quite a few murals which can be found on the outside walls of its downtown buildings.  Pictured below is one of the first ones which we found.

Apparently the amaryllis is the town flower.  Many of the murals spoke to the history of St.Cloud.

The picture above is soldiers returning home after a war.  St.Cloud became important to soldiers after the Civil War when the Grand Army of the Republic established a veteran's retirement colony through the Seminole Land and Investment Company.  In 1909 35,000 acres of a defunct sugar plantation was bought and called St.Cloud.  Veterans arriving in this town could pick up deeds at the Seminole Land Office.  They began arriving in 1909, some started living immediately on their plots in tents.  The first home built belonged to G.W. Penn, it still stands in the town today.

While we were in St.Cloud it was Halloween and the trick or treaters were flowing into the downtown streets.  Local businesses had opened their doors and were handing out goodies.  So I was dodging all that activity while taking pictures of the murals.  Am sure we were a curious sight!

People, costumed or not, lined up in front of the mural waiting for candy while I quickly took the picture.  No one seemed to notice me,  maybe they are use to tourists in their town.  The mural depicts a town fire in 1917.  It was a suspicious arson fire which started in a storeroom and spread to businesses and apartment buildings.  Volunteers formed a bucket brigade to put it out.  Townspeople removed contents of two grocery stores, other businesses, post office, and residences before the raging fire forced them to stop.  Quite different from today when the most likely people to show up and remove items from buildings are looters! 
I think I will always remember St.Cloud not so much for the murals but for the fun of being in on a small town event!  Everyone knew each other and yet were very gracious to us strangers.  The fun continued in a local diner where we purchased a delicious supper.