'We Love Leadville' Tribute Sign Embraced By Locals, Visitors
LEADVILLE, Colo. (CBS4)- If you've ever driven through the little town at 10,200 feet above sea level, chances are you spotted and possibly stopped for a picture by the iconic "We Love Leadville" sign that was painted on a wall located north of town. To make way for the new Railyard Leadville neighborhood development, the sign was torn down.
That demolition left many who love this place with a small hole in their hearts.
"We mobilize quickly as a community-led effort," said Sarah Dallas who helped organize the group responsible for bringing that sign back… or at least a tribute to it.
That effort brought together the community to work together to bring back the "We Love Leadville" sign.
"I think the sign really is representative of the grit, of the love of this place because everyone loves Leadville for a different reason," Dallas said.
The new "We Love Leadville" sign has been installed in Howard Tritz Park just in time for the We Love Leadville community dinner on Friday night.
More than 400 neighbors are coming together for the good old fashioned pot luck.
Because of community concern over losing the old sign, High Country Developers, which is behind the new Railyard Leadville development, donated $5,000 to help fund a tribute to the sign.
Grants and contributions from Freeport-McMoRan, the Lake County Tourism Panel, and $5,000 in community donations at the farewell-to-the-wall party pooled enough money to build a tribute.
The new design is now across the street from the old one in the newly renamed Howard Tritz Park, formerly Triangle Park.
The City of Leadville and Lake County Recreation, Maintenance, and Road and Bridge Departments provided in-kind support.
Community members were invited to submit design bids and community-wide votes used to choose the winner.
The chosen design was created by C+B Design, which also designed wayfinding signage that will be coming to downtown Leadville in the next year.
The gathering Friday is the second-annual community dinner hosted by the Lake County Community Fund (LCCF) and implemented in conjunction with a volunteer committee.
Instagrammers are asked to hashtag their photos #weloveleadville when they check out the new sign.