When Eleanor Tiefenrun and her family moved to California, Missouri, they didn't know Proctor Park existed.
Seven years later, her graphic designs, donated to the California Progress Inc., will help future newcomers or visitors find not only the city's parks but also schools, government buildings and other important landmarks.
A few of the wayfinding signs, provided by California Progress, were installed by city workers last week along Missouri 87 as the city's main corridor, volunteer Gail Hughes said.
A total of 19 wayfinding signs and four welcome signs will be mounted on sturdy poles.
Locations included on the signs include City Hall, the elementary school, Moniteau County Courthouse, Proctor Park, city pool, Finke Theatre, Moniteau County Fairgrounds, Moniteau County Historical Society, U.S. Post Office, high school and middle school.
The project has been on California Progress' radar for six years. In the last year and a half, Hughes has led a committee to make it so.
The signs initially were suggested through the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri (DREAM) Initiative. However, the new California Progress group identified other priorities in the beginning.
Meeting the varied bureaucratic requirements extended the process.
"Once we figured that out, it was smooth sailing," Tiefenrun said.
Having already designed logos for California Progress and the Old Town district, Tiefenrun said the important part of the graphic design for the wayfinding sign was for all the pieces to "visually hold hands."
Hughes noted the donation of Tiefenrun's skills saved the organization considerable costs for the wayfinding project.
And, like the many other community improvement projects California Progress has worked on, it benefited from generous support quickly reaching the $15,000 cost.
"Anytime we can make visitors feel our community is upscale, adds to the overall ambiance of the community," Hughes said.