In the mid 1920s, fleeing difficult childhoods in New Jersey, Vince and step-brother Charlie Nelson took to the rails to see the country.
They made a small fortune running guns and gambling with other drifters and by the late 1920s they set up camp in the mangroves of northwest Palm Beach County.
Shortly after they settled in, Charlie, who apparently had a pretty bad temper, was charged with murder and was sentenced to several years in jail after Vince testified against him — hey, its complicated.
Vince, a handsome, powerful 24-year-old, stood 6-foot, 4-inches tall and weighed 240 pounds — perfectly capable of settling into the rough territory of the Loxahatchee marsh with its alligators, snakes and giant lizards.
Totally self-sufficient, killing only what he could eat, Vince settled into his new life. He not only was powerful, he also was smart. Very smart.
The money he had saved from gambling and gun-running made it possible to buy large tracts of northern Palm Beach County, land that went up for sale at tax auctions during the Great Depression.
He invited visitors to his small compound and sold souvenirs. His reputation spread and eventually, tourists from West Palm Beach heard about Trapper Nelson and found their way to his camp.
Vince realized there was money to be made. He started Trapper Nelson’s Zoo and Jungle Garden.
It grew into a big draw with tourists … even famous ones, like Hollywood star Gary Cooper.
But apparently, Vince had an enemy.
On July 24, 1968, an acquaintance found Trapper Nelson’s lifeless body inside his cabin, with a gunshot to his belly.
The circumstances of his death were never established but some swear that the spirit of Trapper Nelson still roams the mangroves.
Rose Watson, who knew him as a little girl, claims to have seen his ghost at least six times.
”I saw him clearly," she said. “A big man, with the outline of the face I remember from childhood. There's no doubt in my mind. It was as real as it could possibly be!"
But there's more: Some witnesses claim that Trapper Nelson’s ghost points a finger at his brother, Charlie, as his killer. Others describe him warning visitors to stay away from Native American burial grounds. Campers have sworn they heard inexplicable noises, as if someone is walking through the brush and speaking from far away.
All those who hear and see him are close to Trapper’s old cabin.
Very close.
Now, ranger-guided tours of Trapper Nelson’s 1930s pioneer homestead are available year-round at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in southern Martin County.
He's still a big draw.
— Pamela Gray
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