CAPT HOOKERS CACHE IN PARRISH,FLORIDA

[Bigdogdad]

Actually the exact location of the Fort was about a little over a quarter mile upstream where the river makes a bend to the left. The fort was on the right hand side on this higher point. I spent many weekends camping at the exact spot on the river shown in the above bottom picture. If you look on Google earth you will see some houses on the site. There is a spot on the river where you can see where a medium sized boat could be pulled in to get it out of the current from tide changes. The local historical society and some archaeologists did a lot of surveying of the fort site many years ago and various articles were found. Fortunately they were not looking for chests/barrels of treasure that are a little more deeply buried. Those sit waiting to be recovered.

The property Jon talks about on hwy 62 is getting ready to be developed. I used to do work for this particular developer. They just built a new neighborhood at the Rye bridge site right on top of an old Indian settlement. A friend of mine discovered a long lost small cemetery on this site. There is also a county park across the road and a friend of mine from high school is the main ranger. As far as the old Hooker's homestead if ECS can dig up enough info to warrant a survey I can probably get the permission needed to do a search. This developer has actually been to my house to meet me on real estate business as I also happen to be a licensed realtor for the last 20 years.

I also have a written contracts to hunt, detect and dig for treasure along about a mile of the Gamble creek near this area with about 400 acres of somewhat unmolested land.

 

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[Jon Phillips]

Everything I have ever read says it was (partially) where the Waterlefe golf course is...including two articles about metal detecting finds...I believe the ferry crossing was the outskirts of the fort, and you would have had to travel southeast to get to the high ground and actual fort structures. There are historical markers inside the Waterlefe subdivision...the newest bridge proposal goes through the site now, and has got a lot of pushback from historians, and the Seminole tribe...I have found items on the north bank ferry dock area...

BDD...if you are talking about the big homes west of Gates Creek, then we are talking about the same place.

Some of the items found in those older site investigations, including buttons and coins, were found all the way into the swampy area across from the boat ramp/ferry crossing.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Everything I have ever read says it was (partially) where the Waterlefe golf course is...including two articles about metal detecting finds...I believe the ferry crossing was the outskirts of the fort, and you would have had to travel southeast to get to the high ground and actual fort structures. There are historical markers inside the Waterlefe subdivision...the newest bridge proposal goes through the site now, and has got a lot of pushback from historians, and the Seminole tribe...I have found items on the north bank ferry dock area...

BDD...if you are talking about the big homes west of Gates Creek, then we are talking about the same place.

Some of the items found in those older site investigations, including buttons and coins, were found all the way into the swampy area across from the boat ramp/ferry crossing.

Yes we are talking about the same place. The north bank ferry dock area is where we camped dozens of times. We were partying and having a good time. Maybe you found something we left behind. This was before I got into treasure hunting, around 1980.

I have already met recently with the guy that owns the house with the long winding driveway. I have also spoken with the owners of the older property to the NW. This used to be all one tract. I just did some work on a house in Waterlefe recently that is on the golf course near the river. No one in the immediate area is too happy about a bridge going in but it will happen.

I was involved in a dig at the Rye bridge site while the bridge was under construction. They put the new road right on top of a potential gold site. The town of Rye was originally called Mitchellville. There was a separate story about gold. The town was surveyed by a Dr. Mitchell and the story went the rounds that he buried a pot of gold on his property. I got involved with some guys doing a "low profile" search of a wooded area trying to find his lot and the gold. This was around 1990.

 

[ECS]

During the War of Northern Aggression,many of the familes,Curry,McNeil,McKay,etc were involved with blockade running for the CSA,and the blockade network was set up by CSA Sec of State,Judah P Benjamin,cousin of David Levy Yulee.Just like Jacob Summerlin,they accepted gold and silver specie,not Confederate currency.Because of Union raids directed at civilians in the area,many of these families buried their valuables on their property,and a search of homestead records during that period may provide several possible sites.
One has a better chance of finding treasure from this period,than from the Florida west coast era of piracy,which was only a short time.
The Manatee River was also the scene of other smuggling activity from bootlegging and rum running to the 1960's when square grouper was the catch of the day.The area was also known for its "MANATEE MOONSHINE" during Prohibition and its hotel and anchored ship off shore parties that included many known gangsters of the day.

 

[Bigdogdad]

During the War of Northern Aggression,many of the familes,Curry,McNeil,McKay,etc were involved with blockade running for the CSA,and the blockade network was set up by CSA Sec of State,Judah P Benjamin,cousin of David Levy Yulee.Just like Jacob Summerlin,they accepted gold and silver specie,not Confederate currency.Because of Union raids directed at civilians in the area,many of these families buried their valuables on their property,and a search of homestead records during that period may provide several possible sites.
One has a better chance of finding treasure from this period,than from the Florida west coast era of piracy,which was only a short time.
The Manatee River was also the scene of other smuggling activity from bootlegging and rum running to the 1960's when square grouper was the catch of the day.The area was also known for its "MANATEE MOONSHINE" during Prohibition and its hotel and anchored ship off shore parties that included many known gangsters of the day.

I have lived in Manatee county since 1967. I know thousands of people here. I think there is treasure buried all over the county and I do believe the majority of it is related to the cattle industry. From around 1933 to 1974 it was illegal for the average citizen to own gold other than jewelry and small amounts. Because of this a lot of it was hidden. I have probably heard at least a hundred potential treasure stories.

I just heard a local story about a woman whose husband died. When she was going thru his things she found 17 million in gold bars hidden in the back of a closet. She did not have a clue he had these bars. You never know where gold and silver may be hidden or buried. It could come from any number of sources. The trick is figuring out where to look. You have to start somewhere.

We have new construction going on all over the county. Sites are getting destroyed or paved over. I used to do work for over 50 contractors most of whom are still doing business. One of my biggest problems is trying to go in too many directions at once. It is all about focus.

To be honest all the treasures out there waiting to be found are just about to drive me crazy, and that is a very short trip.

 

[lastleg]

I am glad, especially on April Fools Day, that you are not too busy to entertain us.

 

[lastleg]

BTW, I'm about to entertain myself watching the movie "Let's Go To Prison".

 

[ECS]

I have lived in Manatee county since 1967. I know thousands of people here. I think there is treasure buried all over the county and I do believe the majority of it is related to the cattle industry. From around 1933 to 1974 it was illegal for the average citizen to own gold other than jewelry and small amounts. Because of this a lot of it was hidden. I have probably heard at least a hundred potential treasure stories... The trick is figuring out where to look...

To be honest all the treasures out there waiting to be found are just about to drive me crazy, and that is a very short trip.

Which brings forth the question:
When you were Ovid's sidekick and chauffeured him hammer down from site to site based on a "well marked" road atlas in your Trans Am Smokey and the Bandit style,why didn't his pendulum go wild in Manatee county with all the treasure that is said to be buried there? It seems the only sites he found there were the possible Rocky Bluff well known pirate camp next to I-75 and the Englewood septic tank dig.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Which brings forth the question:
When you were Ovid's sidekick and chauffeured him hammer down from site to site based on a "well marked" road atlas in your Trans Am Smokey and the Bandit style,why didn't his pendulum go wild in Manatee county with all the treasure that is said to be buried there? It seems the only sites he found there were the possible Rocky Bluff well known pirate camp next to I-75 and the Ellenton septic tank dig.

I wouldn't say that his pendulum went "wild" but it sure did a lot of "swinging". I took him all over Manatee County. I took him up and down the coast in a friend's boat to duplicate what he did with the Fisher crew. As part of a test we took him out on the waters edge at seven different locations on the beach at Anna Maria Island. I took him to Egmont Key. We went around the area of a number of interesting bayou's. We went to Ft. Meade. Alligator Alley. Ft.Pierce to a plane crash site in the mangroves. I took him to where an old mansion of ill repute used to be in "downtown" Parrish. These along with many other places.

He pointed out sites ALL OVER the place. To keep the facts straight the "septic tank" dig was in Englewood not Ellenton. I dug in a septic field, not tank. I know what a stickler you are for small details. I am more anal about it than you.

Although I have dug lots of empty holes it is not as if that is all I ever do. On the Pirate Treasure Permit thread I have shown you some of my other interests. Treasure hunting has always seemed to stay at or near the bottom of my list of priorities. It is because my treasure story started in 1987 that when added up, all the treasure hunts were not that many. We were usually swinging for the fences to hit a big home run and only went after mostly bigger treasures.

I joined TNET in March of 2012. This is when I started getting more serious. ECS you have no idea what all has happened since then. Maybe one day you will decide to join the team. I feel I am right on the verge of major success. The stars are lining up. We have dialed in the sites and are ready to hit the bulls eye. This may sound like BS. Please come to the treasure hunters barbecue on the 26 of this month. You would be glad that you did.

For the record it was not Ovid's fault that I have not found the treasures, it is mine. I have made just about every mistake possible although I am sure I can come up with a few more. You can't find gold in a silver mine but you can find it where somebody buried it. I will just keep digging.

 

[lastleg]

Actually you can find gold in a silver mine, I know of several who had both.