Category Archives: Florida

Abandoned Bongoland

13 Friday Aug 2021

Posted by in Abandoned America, Florida, Road Trip, Roadside Attractions, Roadtrip

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Bongoland was a roadside attraction that operated between 1948-1952. It was the brainchild of Dr. Perry Arthur Sperber (1907-1996), who leased the land in Port Orange, Florida from Daytona car dealer J. Saxon Lloyd. It was doomed from the beginning.

Florida has a long and rich cultural history, and Port Orange is no exception. Situated south of Daytona Beach, the area saw Franciscan monks founding the Lost Mission from 1602-1625. The coquina shell walls of the mission are in ruins yet explorable today. (They failed at persuading the Native American Indians to convert to Christianity.) In 1763, the English Crown deeded 101,400 acres to Dr. Andrew Turnbull, who exploited the land and the slave labor.

Bahamian native Patrick Dean purchased 995 acres in 1804, establishing a plantation. He was killed by the Seminole Indians in 1818 during the First Seminole War. The land passed via will to his aunt, Cicely Green Bunch, whose husband was Patrick’s uncle and owned adjacent property. According to records, it appears that Cicely predeceased Patrick and her share went to her grandson upon her husband’s death. The grandson by then was Admiral John Bonnemaison Bunch McHardy, who favored the military over farming. He sold the plantation to Joseph and Charles Lawton on May 3, 1832. Later that year, the brothers sold it to Sarah Petty Dunn Anderson for $4,500. Sarah’s sons, James and George, ran it for three years. It was during this time that the land became known as Dunlawton.

Dunlawton burned during the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842. By 1838, it was rebuilt, only to burn down again in 1856 during the Third Seminole War, 1855-1858.This time the plantation was under new ownership. John F. Marshall paid $8,000 for the land on September 18, 1846. Marshall attempted to bring the plantation back to life, only to fail. He decided to lease the property with a right to purchase to Charles P. Vaux, who also failed, in 1853, and the property reverted back to Marshall in 1855. Upon the third and final burning, the plantation ceased to be agriculturally viable.

The Civil War interrupted the timeline, as Confederate troops used the property for camping. After the Confederates lost and surrendered, Marshall was able to locate a buyer, attorney William Dougherty, who sought to subdivide the land and sell it piece by piece. The last person to own the property was Joseph Saxon Lloyd (1907-1991). Somehow Dr. Sperber was able to pitch the idea of building huge dinosaurs amongst the fauna, set up a Seminole Indian village, and small zoo in an attempt to lure vacationers traveling by car to stop in. A baboon named “Bongo” gave the attraction its name: Bongoland.

Manuel David “Manny” Lawrence was a sculptor and cement worker. He created the dinosaur statues, of which 4 survived (spoiler coming). Manny build a 42-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex; 30-foot Stegosaurus; 25-foot Triceratops; and an 8-foot Dimetrodon. His work was known throughout the area as he worked at the Museum of Natural History in Holly Hill, Florida. Manny died in 2003 at the age of 79.

Advertising the park was expensive and ultimately led to its closure. Although the live animals were removed, the dinosaurs remained. In 1963, Lloyd donated the entire property to Volusia County. In 1972, it was added to the Florida Historical Registry. The Botanical Gardens of Volusia, Inc. began maintaining the property in 1988. The Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are a unique place. Even though the plantation and mission and odd mini zoo are gone, the county realizes the interest it generates. It is one of a few abandoned locales that encourages people to explore. Call ahead to check on seasonal hours.

Dr. Perry A. Sperber wasn’t finished with dinosaurs. In 1970, he published Sex and the Dinosaur, where he theorized that animals are direct ancestors to the dinosaurs. Before his death on October 4, 1996, Dr. Sperber made the rounds discussing Bongoland and his book.

And now for the spoiler: In 2019, the T-Rex crumbled and fell. Apparently, it is unable to be salvaged and restored; however, several groups have offered assistance. Decades of extreme Florida weather claimed the mighty dinosaur.

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are located at 950 Old Sugar Road, Port Orange, Fl, https://www.dunlawtonsugarmillgardens.org/index.html. Let me know if you visit!

Florida’s Fort De Soto Park’s Haunted History

24 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in Florida, Florida Mysteries, The Haunted Librarian Radio Show

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Vintage postcard.

Situated off the coast of Pinellas County, Florida sits the 1,136-acre Fort De Soto Park. The park has a complicated history—a history that is ripe for haunted stories. Tripping on Legends’ Christopher Balzano joined me on The Haunted Librarian Show to discuss some of the tragic stories. Curious about them, I decided to do a bit more researching. Two time periods stand out: The Mullet Key Quarantine Station and the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge Collapse.

Five islands comprise the Fort De Soto Park. Visitors can access the park via boat or car. Inhabitants date back to 1,000 A.D. when the Tocobaga Native American Indians controlled the keys, as well as the Tampa Bay area, residing in villages. One hundred years after the Spanish explorer Pánfilo de Narváez and his men arrived in 1528, the tribe were extinct. By 1861, the islands came under government control and private use was prohibited. During the Civil War, the Union Army controlled two of the islands, Mullet and Egmont Keys. Various buildings were built over the years but ultimately were abandoned one-by-one by 1937. On May 11, 1963, the park was dedicated.

Tierra Verde, the official address for the fort, was originally part of Hillsborough County. Hillsborough County (Tampa and surrounding towns) was founded in 1834 and encompassed the western towns along the Gulf of America. Tierra Verde sits within Pinellas County, which was annexed from Hillsborough in 1912. Researchers should note the dates and keep in mind when searching for data on Fort De Soto Park.

Two images of the now-gone buildings with an aerial shot of the park with a map of when the area was used by the government.

The Tampa Bay area experienced several Yellow Fever outbreaks. From December 16, 1889-1937, the Mullet Key Quarantine Station served as a short-term isolation center for travelers coming to Florida. The quarantine area housed 15 buildings. One was built above the water. The hospital sat 700 feet from the shoreline. Erected on pilings (wooden beams stuck upright into the water), the 37 by 200-foot station consisted of 9 hospital rooms. People who did not exhibit symptoms were housed inland, while patients remained in the hospital. However, people did die at the station.

By 1892, a fumigation apparatus was in use to eradicate the mosquitos, which transmitted Yellow Fever and the cases began to subside. In late 1937, Hillsborough County relocated the station to Gadsden Pointe, closer to Tampa, thus ending one quarantine chapter for the Tampa Bay area. Balzano’s new book Haunted Florida Love Stories (2020) retells some of the ghost stories, possibly identifying who the spirits may be.

  • Robert Raiola and Michael Betz were the 2 FDOT divers who recovered the bodies from the submerged Greyhound bus.
May 9, 1980 when a 1,200-foot span on the southbound lane collapsed. Bottom picture is of Robert Raiola (L) and Michael Betz (R).

On May 9, 1980, the MV Summit Venture crashed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, causing a 1200-foot span on the southbound lane to fall into the channel, killing 35 people. A makeshift morgue was set up on Mullet Key.

Michael Betz and Robert Raiola, two FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) divers, were already planning on being at the bridge that day. This was Betz’ fifth day on the job; Raiola was training him. Both were eating breakfast at The Bunny Hut when the call came in. Upon arrival, the FDOT divers worked with Eckerd College’s Search and Rescue divers to retrieve bodies from the water. Betz and Raiola made two dives down to the upside-down Greyhound bus, where all aboard died (22 passengers and the driver), when another storm started moving in. Betz and Raiola were unable to retrieve all of the bodies trapped in the bus. Only 18 bodies were recovered on that day. Seven were recovered the next day by other divers.

Bodies were ferried to Andrew Potter Pier (also known as Potter’s Pier), on the southwest corner of Mullet Key. Here they were processed until being transferred to the Coroner’s office in Largo. Visitors to the park speculate that some of the ghosts seen may be those drowned in this horrific accident.

In addition to the possible victims of the bridge collapse, visitors claim to see phantom suicide jumpers.

Tune in with Christopher Balzano, check out his social links (https://trippingonlegends.com/), and consider ordering his latest book.

St. Petersburg’s Comfort Station No. 1

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by in Famous Locations, Florida, Florida Mysteries, Hauntings, Historic Places, Not Haunted

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Comfort Station No. 1; Vintage image from 1979 of station; Vintage postcard of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

A story is making the Internet rounds claiming that Comfort Station No. 1 in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida is haunted. It’s not. However, its lack of ghosts should not detract from the stunning architecture that makes it one of the most beautiful and historic public restrooms in the United States.

St. Petersburg experienced large tourism in the 1920s. Hotel construction rose as people came to enjoy the warm winter weather. Architects drew inspiration from Europe building such historic hotels as The Hotel Cordova (1921), the Don CeSar Hotel (1928), and the Vinoy Park Hotel (1925). Shortly after designing the Vinoy, architect Henry L. Taylor (1884-1958) designed Comfort Station No. 1.

At the corner of 2nd Avenue and Bayshore Drive North sits an 8-sided brick building. Topped with Spanish tiles, the octagonal structure is modeled after the Lombardy Romanesque style. Although this is not Taylor’s most important architectural feat, it is one of his most debated.

Bids were taken in March 1927, with permits and construction commencing by the summer. It reportedly cost $16,000 and was completed and operational by May 10, 1928 when a Lost and Found ad ran in the St. Petersburg Times. Ironically, the person who ran the ad found a Masonic ring at the station. The February 1929 issue of The American City praised the facility—both functionally and aesthetically.

Urban legends continue to swirl. The first claimed that Taylor built the facility to resemble St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, situated at 515 4th Street South. Both structures are octagonal and share similar features. The story further claims that Taylor took umbrage to being shorted on the church project and designed the restrooms as an insult. This is factually incorrect. The bathroom was designed and built before the church, where construction began in 1929. Several newspaper articles, namely the September 9, 1992 St. Petersburg Times article, dispels this rumor.

Comfort Station No. 1 is sometimes called “Little St. Mary’s” or “St. Mary’s Comfort Station.” These are tributes to the similarities between the restroom and the church. While Taylor left no indication as to his reasoning on the design, some postulate that the restroom was a prototype for the large Byzantine style church.

One online tale also claims that Taylor himself haunts the station. Hardly. He built larger, more glamourous buildings to spend eternity.

Another Internet story refers to an elderly woman named “Agnes” who chats ladies up at the sink. After hours searching several online databases, I was unable to find an elderly woman who was alive in the 1930s (she reportedly was wearing clothes of that period) who died around the pier. Using a preconceived old-fashioned name doesn’t make the story true.

The comfort station sits along the retaining wall at the entrance to Pier Approach Park. Over the decades, the park consisted of several large piers: The Railroad Pier (1889); The Pier Pavilion (1895); The Electric Pier (1906); The Million Dollar Pier (1926); and The Inverted Pyramid Pier (1973). Engineers grew concerned by the saltwater erosion on the pilings; therefore, the pier is undergoing another rebuild/renovation.

There are numerous reasons why people hear sounds in the comfort station. First of all: it’s an oversized bathroom. The water lapping against the seawall also creates sounds. Hide tide, low tide; they all make waves. Boats entering/leaving the yacht basin. Acoustics against the tiles. Wildlife hovering about or scurrying underneath. In addition, fog and mist are frequent weather occurrences. Not one tale references actual investigations conducted to debunk.

Historic and old buildings are not necessarily haunted. I’ve visited this location numerous times (I used to live 16 blocks from here and would walk to the park). Never did I have an experience. Further, never did I hear about experiences. Visit Comfort Station No. 1 and reflect on a time when motorists did not have public conveniences and the one progressive city that took up matters by erecting a classic pit stop.