McKees Place

[Southern_Digger]

McKee's Place

I visited McKee's museum two or three times in the late 60's and early 70's. During my last visit, 1971-72, I spoke with Art about my seeking a little unknown galleon wreck in the middle-ground--somewhere between Fla. Keys and Sebastian. This led me to research and pursue a wreck at Jupiter Inlet (1977). During last visit, I took photos of Art and me with the silver bar. Unfortunately, the flash/batteries on my camera failed and the indoor photos did not develop. Does anyone have a photo of Art they can post?







Went on a keys detecting trip in 1971-72 with this person who did good with the Metrotech. His name was Chuck M. We went on an everglades hunt too to Capone's old place and the nearby ghost town below Monroe Station, off the Tamiami Trail, Lost touch with him when I believe, he moved back to Virginia.



Preparing for an off-beach dive in 1976

 

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[signumops]

You can find a bunch of em here...

Florida Memory - Florida Photographic Collection

just search for art mckee

 

[Phanntom]

There are plenty of photos of him at the site someone mentioned on here but it appears it passed away in 1980.

 

[wreckwriter]

Back in the early 90s, I was living in Key Largo and researching for my book "Histories & Mysteries: The Shipwrecks of Key Largo". The main focus of the book was more modern wrecks but no Keys wreck book would be complete without mention of the Spanish fleets. One of the people I interviewed was Art's daughter Karen. At the time she was running the museum in Art's castle. I'll never forget Karen's hospitality and willingness to help me with my research. I really can't describe what an honor it was to spend several hours sitting in Art's living room, talking shipwrecks and treasures with his lovely daughter and, perhaps best of all, getting to look through Art's personal photo albums and scrapbooks. It was truly a day I'll never forget.

 

[wreckwriter]

Went on a keys detecting trip in 1971-72 with this person who did good with the Metrotech. His name was Chuck M. We went on an everglades hunt too to Capone's old place and the nearby ghost town below Monroe Station, off the Tamiami Trail, Lost touch with him when I believe, he moved back to Virginia.

I'm thinking you're talking about Chuck Mitchell. I knew Chuck and he was quite a character! I remember the day I met him he gave me a business card, it said "Capt. Chuck Mitchell, Treasure Finder". Always thought that sounded so much better than 'treasure hunter'!

Sadly, Chuck passed in 09. Here's his obit:

Obituaries | KeysNews.com

 

[Southern_Digger]

Back in the early 90s, I was living in Key Largo and researching for my book "Histories & Mysteries: The Shipwrecks of Key Largo". The main focus of the book was more modern wrecks but no Keys wreck book would be complete without mention of the Spanish fleets. One of the people I interviewed was Art's daughter Karen. At the time she was running the museum in Art's castle. I'll never forget Karen's hospitality and willingness to help me with my research. I really can't describe what an honor it was to spend several hours sitting in Art's living room, talking shipwrecks and treasures with his lovely daughter and, perhaps best of all, getting to look through Art's personal photo albums and scrapbooks. It was truly a day I'll never forget.

It is my experience too, that often, the best time of research is not the material as much as the fascinating people I had the honor to meet.

 

[Southern_Digger]

I'm thinking you're talking about Chuck Mitchell. I knew Chuck and he was quite a character! I remember the day I met him he gave me a business card, it said "Capt. Chuck Mitchell, Treasure Finder". Always thought that sounded so much better than 'treasure hunter'!

Sadly, Chuck passed in 09. Here's his obit:

Obituaries | KeysNews.com

No, it wasn't Mitchell. I believe his last name was Morgan, and Morgan lived in Broward County. Neither did he dive, at least not at that time. However, I did meet C. Mitchell a few times over the years. Once, at a Merchant wreck exhibit displayed at the Graves Museum in Dania, Fl.. I saw the sketches of the wreck layout and volunteered my services to CAD the site into a computer map, but was turned down because a University had come forward to do that. Another time, at a shipwreck symposium.

 

[sphillips]

During the '80's and early nineties, I worked as a project superintndent for a general contractor in Tavernier. In 1991 or 1992, a real estate investor purchased the museum, and turned it into a tourist trinket shop, and added several other retail buildings on the site. We were hired to do the renovations and build the retail buildings. Always wondered if Mr. McKee had hidden any treasure on the site.

 

[wreckwriter]

During the '80's and early nineties, I worked as a project superintndent for a general contractor in Tavernier. In 1991 or 1992, a real estate investor purchased the museum, and turned it into a tourist trinket shop, and added several other retail buildings on the site. We were hired to do the renovations and build the retail buildings. Always wondered if Mr. McKee had hidden any treasure on the site.

If he had, Karen took it

 

[stevemc]

When it was the gift shop, it still had cannons all around. It is a school now.

 

[sphillips]

When it was the gift shop, it still had cannons all around. It is a school now.

Yep, cannons were still there when we performed the work.

 

[Southern_Digger]

You can find a bunch of em here...

Florida Memory - Florida Photographic Collection

just search for art mckee

Took me awhile to get a chance to check, but it was worth the wait. Thank You.

 

[bcinbucks]

Thought this interesting...........

 

[Bum Luck]

Thanks very much for that - a real treat!

Fond memories of Art. . . .

 

[Southern_Digger]

Thank You bcinbucks... enjoyed the video.

 

[Whitebird Art]

Art had other children ,Wayne, Patty, Rick and Art 111.
They got zilch ( 000 ) from his Estate, as the last wife made sure that she ( Gay ) and Kevin and Karen got everything.
$250,000.00 went to the Chicago lawyers to make sure the others were precluded from their portion of the Estate.
Kevin subsequently had a lot of problems and has i believe passed away.
Karen continues to trade off the fame of her Father and i suppose has made the most of it.
A point well made, If you want your heirs to have any of your stuff ,give it to them before you die.