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Bygone Florida, Mount Plymouth, FL (2026)

07/12/2026

Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang

This weekends adventure was spent at Ma Barkers house in Ocklawaha! Who is Ma Barker you say? It depends on who you ask! J. Edgar Hoover will tell you she was “the most vicious, dangerous and resourceful criminal brain of the last decade." Others will tell you she was just the mother of four boys who loved them dearly and never disciplined (which some say is why her husband, George, left the family in the late 1920’s). Ma Barker (nee Arizona Donnie Clark) was born in 1873, Missouri. She married George Barker in 1892. The couple had four sons, Herman (1893-1927), Lloyd (1897–1949), Arthur (1899–1939), and Fred (1901–1935). All four boys lived a life of crime, starting as early as 1910. After George left and the boys were in jail, Ma lived a life of extreme poverty. Some say she lived in a dirt-floor shack. Things started to look up in 1931. Fred, Ma’s youngest, was released from jail and joined forces with a former inmate, Alvin Karpis. They formed the Barker-Karpis gang.

This was during a time where organized crime was considered the “Public Enemy Era”. The term was used extensively when referring to the likes of John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson and Machine Gun Kelly. Ma Barker and Karpis made the list; Public Enemy Number 1. This informal designation eventually became the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

This Barker-Karpis gang was busy! Their crimes took them to OK, AR, MN, KS, WI, IA, NE, and IL. The gang killed 30 people and kidnapped 2, extorting $300,000 in ransom. As the FBI was getting smarter in tracking down criminals, the gang needed to escape the Midwest. They scattered throughout the US, with some fleeing to Florida. Ma Barker rented a house in Ocklawaha under the disguise of Kate Blackburn. The FBI eventually tracked them down when Arthur Barker was arrested and had a map with the location of Ma, Fred and others in the gang.

In the early morning hours of January 16 1935, agents surrounded the house and demanded the gang surrender. No response. They demanded again. No response. They demanded a third time and threw tear gas at the house. This time, a response, “All right, go head”. Fred Barker started shooting a machine gun from the upstairs window. The shootout lasted 5 hours. Others say 4-6 hours. Either way, it’s officially the longest shootout in FBI history. We know that over 2,000 bullets were used, resulting in the death of Ma and Fred Barker. No other gang members were home at the time. Not one FBI agent was harmed.

The bodies of Ma and Fred were not claimed by family and were put on display at a funeral home in Ocala to view for .10 cents. This lasted about 6-8 months. The public began to lose interest and they lowered the price to .05 cents! Eventually, their bodies were shipped to Oklahoma and buried at Williams Timberhill Cemetery.

The remaining son, Arthur, was eventually arrested and sent to Alcatraz in 1936. Three years later, he was shot and killed trying to escape.

Today, The house sits on Carney Island, operated by the Marion County Parks and Recreation. I highly recommend taking the tour. You need to book in advance, because they fill up fast! It’s $10 and lasts about 1.5 hours. Jeanne and I had such a good time learning about some local and national history!

https://mabarkerhouse.org

゚

04/05/2026

Apopka, FL

We moved from Jacksonville to Apopka in late 1985. Mom told us we were headed to the indoor foliage capital of the world and as a 17 year old, I thought my life was officially over! I was a senior and Jeanne was a sophomore at Apopka High School. After we settled in, it was easy to see that Apopka was a cute small town with dirt roads, cow pastures and lots of foliage nurseries. At that time we focused on being teenagers and then college life. We didn’t take an interest in learning the history of our community until now. 40 years later, Jeanne and I started reading about the history of Apopka, and visited the Museum of Apopkans this weekend. I won’t go into great detail of Apopka’s past, but will share some pretty cool highlights.

The area was originally referred to by the Seminole Indians as Ahapopka which means "potato-eating place". Potato referred to the arrowhead plants growing in nearby swamps. Early settlers started referring to the community as “The Lodge” in the mid 1800’s, in reference to the local Masonic Lodge. The Lodge was officially chartered in 1882 as the Town of Apopka City. In the early 1900’s the “City” was dropped and in 1919, was reincorporated as Apopka.

Apopka is home to the oldest Masonic Lodge in the State of Florida that has been continually used for lodge meetings; Masonic Lodge, Orange Lodge No. 36 F.A.M. The Masonic Lodge was established in 1856. The building was finally erected in 1859. The upper floor is used for lodge meetings while the first floor has been used for a post office, church, and a school.

In October 1985, I remember a beautiful historic home being moved to where 441 and 436 come together. I actually went to 441 to watch this home slowly crawl its way to its new location. I didn’t know the history, only that it was called Townsends Plantation. Now I’m happy to learn that this masterpiece was built by the Eldredge family in 1903 (one of the first families in the area) and eventually purchased by the McBride family in the 1940s (local physician). The owner passed away in 1978, and it was eventually purchased by the Townsend family. In 1985 the Townsends moved the house, the other plantation buildings, most of the live oaks and renovated the buildings. It was a restaurant for a while but became empty again. The City of Apopka eventually took ownership of the property, renamed it Highland Manor and is being managed as a wedding and events venue.

Apopka has some amazing history, such that I will probably write another post about Apopka in the future. I highly recommend anyone who is a history buff to do some reading! The following are books that I’ve read and recommend: Images of America Apopka by Apopka Historical Society and History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County, Florida by Jerrell Shofner.

Until next time ✌🏼

03/29/2026

Pershing Highway

Another wonderful adventure with Sissy today!!! We made our way to West Volusia to Daytona, looking for the Pershing Highway.

Pershing Highway, aka Old Brick Road, was built with bricks in 1917, being the first paved road from Daytona to DeLand. Prior to, roads were made with sand, pine straw or lime rock. Clearly brick was the winner, as part of this road continues to stand today, 109 years later!

Named for WWI General John J. Pershing, this road was part of the "Pershing Triangle" connecting DeLand, Daytona, and New Smyrna. It was eventually abandoned in 1947 after the completion of modern U.S. Highway 92.

Today was beautiful while we walked along the brick road. As we were headed back, about 1/2 mile to the trailhead, the sky opened up and rained down upon us ⛈️ . The beautiful 82* and slight breeze quickly dropped to 69* 🥶. This is par for our outings!! 😂

It is amazing that we are Florida Natives and still finding places we have never seen before!!

Until next time ✌🏼

03/28/2026

Seneca Cemetery, Eustis, FL

Seneca Cemetery is located in Eustis, Fl, off of 44A, just east of 439. There are two signs at the entrance, but if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss it. It makes me wonder how many people drive by every day and have no clue that some of the original settlers are buried here. 🤔

So because the cemetery is practically in our backyard, give or take a few miles, Jeanne and I decided to stop and take a look. I love the markers at the entrance. The stone marker lets visitors know the cemetery was established in 1884. The following excerpt was taken from the cemetery’s page: On the 17th of July 1884, Eli and M. Elizabeth Cooper of Orange County, Florida sold to James B. Kelly, P. T. Dodson, and John Crossan, Trustees of the Seneca Cemetery Association, five acres of land for one hundred dollars situated in Orange County, Florida, to be used by said Trustees and their successors in office as a burial ground to be known as the Seneca Cemetery. (Note: this information was taken from a copy of the original deed. At the time, the property was Orange County; later, it became Lake County.)

If you look this cemetery up on findagrave.com, you will find that someone did a great job of documenting many of those who were laid to rest here, including their lineage. There are a good number of veterans buried here, and a beautiful monument to honor those who served our country 🇺🇸.

This was a great short stop for us. I love cemeteries. Mom and I used to stop when we randomly saw one and just wander around, trying to imagine what their life was like, what their story was, and thanking those who fought for our freedom. I would say that I’m dragging Jeanne along, but I think she enjoys it just as much as I do 😊.

Until our next adventure ✌🏼

03/26/2026

Flat Island Preserve

So my sister and I decided to visit Flat Island Preserve last weekend. Not very “historic”per se, but a nice outing, nonetheless!

This preserve is a 2,300+ acre conservation area located in southwest Leesburg, FL and is very easy to find, off US27 and CR25A. This is a great trip for those who enjoy walking on trails, being outside around a marshy area and don’t mind wildlife and bugs! Flat Island offers 3.6+ miles of paths, most of which have dirt, sand, and roots. We had to cross over several fallen trees, which was doable. My guess is they maintain these trails pretty regularly and those logs will be removed soon. There is a boardwalk that takes you to a launch site for canoes. Canoes are available for use, although we didn’t see any. We either missed it or it’s too soon in the season.

We walked to the primitive campsite. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It wasn’t fancy, but it’s not supposed to be when primitive is how it’s described! There is a water pump, but it’s not working. Some fellow hikers told us it should be fixed soon. It’s my understanding that camping is allowed, but you need a permit.

Magnolia Island is nearby and only accessible by canoe. This would be worth a second trip to me. Although my guess is when the canoes are available, they are scooped up quickly!

Flat Island Preserve was a nice outing for my sister and I! We were there for around 2 hours. If you decide to go, I would go earlier in the day as we get closer to summer. Marshy area screams mosquitos!! Take sunblock, bug spray and water. Don’t forget to sign in and sign out for your visit. And for those dog lovers like me, unfortunately, no pets allowed in the preserve. So man’s best friend will need to sit this adventure out!

01/04/2026

The Groveland Four

I used to be an avid reader, but life seemed to get in the way over the last few years. I'm not going to let life stall my reading anymore, and I've picked up 'Devil in the Grove' by Gilbert King. This story takes place in Groveland, FL (about 45 minutes from me), back in 1949, where four young black men were wrongfully accused of ra**ng a white woman, leading to a race riot, a legal battle, and multiple murders by the local sheriff. Fast forward to 2019, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Clemency Board granted full posthumous pardons to the Groveland Four.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading the book and maybe doing a little exploring a few towns over to see what I can find!

To be continued…

12/29/2025

I honestly don’t remember how I found out about Ethel, FL, I just knew I needed to see it! So Jeanne and I headed to the Rock Springs Run State Reserve in Sorrento, FL. This State Reserve has 14 miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of equestrian trails. Within the Reserve is the lost (and now found) community of Ethel. In 2008, an Orlando resident was hiking the area and found a several tombstones, including 2 that shared his last name, Moore. This led him to research the names and area, thus leading to the discovery of Ethel, FL.

Ethel was established in the 1860’s and had a population of about 250. They had a general store, post office, a one room school, a train flag stop and a cemetery. The school house also hosted church services by a minister who traveled by horse & buggy and crossed the Wekiva River by ferry. This little community was also home to the 3,000 acre Delk plantation, owned by William Shelton Delk. On 400 acres, they farmed cotton, rice, sugar cane and corn. A water wheel powered a grist mill, saw mill and cotton gin.

As with many small towns in Florida impacted by The Great Freeze (Dec 1894 & Feb 1895), the small town of Ethel suffered as well. Many families left after the freeze, with most of the remaining residents leaving by the 1920’s.

Since the discovery of Ethel, The Wekiva Wilderness Trust created The Ethel Project. Their work includes The Historic Ethel Trail that opened in March 2024. The trail is a 1.5 mile loop that walks visitors through what would have been the township of Ethel, including signs that share history and what life was like back then. Next on the project list is building two cabins including one that will be an exact replica of the first family cabin in Ethel. The second cabin will be a small museum.

If you’re ever in the Sorrento area and love Florida history, I highly recommend you stop!

Sources: Orange County Regional History Center, Wekiva Wildnerness Trust, Unearthing Ethel: The Story of How a Florida Ghost Town was Lost and Found by Don Philpott, and Florida State Parks.

12/28/2025

Today, we had the opportunity to explore Ethel, Florida. This location was unknown to us, which is crazy because it was literally 15-20 mins away back in 1985, when we relocated from Jacksonville to Apopka. I’ve got more pictures and history to share. I just need to organize it. Hope to get it posted tomorrow!

Bygone Florida

07/12/2026

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03/29/2026

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