History of Lake Placid, New York

Welcome to Lake Placid. Internationally famous, this picturesque Adirondack Mountain village was founded in the early 1800s to develop a mining operation based on iron ore discovered nearby. Lake Placid truly came into it’s own though in the late 19th century when an influx of rich and famous were drawn to the fashionable Lake Placid Club founded by Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System.

In 1905 Dewey kept the club open through the winter which aided the development and popularity of winter sports in the area. By 1921, the area boasted a ski jump, speed skating venue and ski association, and in 1929, Dr. Godfrey Dewey, Melvil's son, convinced the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Lake Placid had the best winter sports facilities in the nation.

The Lake Placid Club was the headquarters for the IOC for the 1932 and the 1980 Winter Olympics; a legacy that endures as Lake Placid continues to host year round amateur and professional sporting competition.