Trapper Nelson
Encyclopedia
Vince "Trapper" Nelson (born Vincent Nostokovich or Natulkiewicz around 1909) was an American
trapper, hunter, and zoo
founder. Though he was born in New Jersey, and lived in Mexico and Texas, he is best known for establishing a homestead-turned-zoo on the shore of the Loxahatchee River
in Florida. Filled with exotic and wild animals, his zoo was a popular tourist spot in the 1940s and 50s, visited by local and national celebrities. Because of this, he became known locally as "Tarzan
of the Loxahatchee".
The zoo was eventually shut down by State health inspectors in 1960. After his zoo was closed, Nelson became a hermit
and suffered from undiagnosed health problems. In 1968, he was found dead from a gunshot wound in his cabin by a friend. His death was ruled a suicide. Nelson's campsite is now known as the Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
in Jonathan Dickinson State Park
, Hobe Sound
, Florida
.
immigrant parents in Trenton
, New Jersey
, in 1908 or 1909. As a boy, to earn money he began trapping animals such as muskrat
s in the marsh
es of New Jersey. His parents did not speak English, so Nelson would often assist them in translating to make sure they were not taken advantage of. However, when his mother died and his father remarried, Nelson ran away from home, heading west.
Hopping freight train
s, Nelson first ended up in Colorado
, then eventually in Mexico
. While there, he was arrested by the Federales
under suspicion of gunrunning
. He spent time in a Mexican jail and was later released. Nelson later claimed his release was because he "wrecked their food budget."
After his release Nelson headed back east with 10 cents to his name. He made money for food by gambling with other road bums until he made it to southern Florida, where he, his step brother Charles Nelson and friend John Dykas set up camp.
, in the late 1920s. Bessie DuBois, wife of John DuBois, recalled seeing him for the first time in 1927 or 1928. The DuBoises owned a restaurant that Nelson would frequent, and Bessie made note of his eccentric eating habits: "He would order a pie—not a piece of pie, mind you, but a pie—and he'd eat the whole thing right in front of me." He ate ice cream by the half-gallon, and there were stories that he once ate 18 eggs for breakfast.
Things did not stay peaceful for long. On December 17, 1931, Charles Nelson shot partner John Dykas in the back, killing him. Trapper Nelson, angered by his step-brother's actions, testified against him at the trial for Dykas' murder. Charles was given a 20-year sentence at Raiford Prison
. Disillusioned with civilization, Nelson withdrew from the beach, settling deep in the woods on the Loxahatchee River
that same December. Using what little money he had and money borrowed from his sister, he bought 800 acre
s.
Physically imposing at 6' 4" and 240 pounds, he lived by trapping, hunting
, and fishing
in what was then wild country. He made money by selling the furs of the animals he trapped, and ate the meat, starting rumors that he ate everything from possum
s to stray house cats. He acquired extensive land holdings, bidding on tax auctions during the Great Depression
. He would on occasion bid against Judge C. E. Chillingworth
, the judge who had handed down his step-brother's sentence, and the two eventually became friends. When Chillingworth was murdered in the 1950s, Charles Nelson was briefly considered a suspect.
Trapping could only bring Nelson income seasonally, and as south Florida became a popular tourist destination, he came up with a new way to earn money. He eventually developed a zoo on his property in the 1930s, calling it "Trapper Nelson's Zoo and Jungle Gardens". His camp and zoo became popular tourist attractions. Tours along the river from West Palm Beach would stop there for lunch and stretch breaks, and Nelson shared the profits with the boat captains. Locally prominent people and celebrities alike visited, including boxing
champion Gene Tunney
and actor Gary Cooper
, to see his animals, watch Nelson wrestle alligators
, and buy souvenirs.
With his new fame came notoriety. He was known locally as the "Tarzan
of the Loxahatchee", and cared for the locals' exotic pet
s. He would trap troublesome wild animals, and provided others for parties and events. Rumors were started about his handsomeness, his eating habits (Bessie DuBois denied he ate raw possum), and his romantic exploits. It was told that he courted heiresses and countesses from wealthy Palm Beach
, and that one conquest was a direct descendant of President James Monroe
.
Nelson finally married in 1940 in an attempt to avoid the draft for World War II
. His plan failed and he was drafted anyway. He joined the Military Police in Texas
, but while training, he tore a muscle in his leg and was transferred to Camp Murphy, which was very close to his land.
Focusing again on his zoo, he found that property values were skyrocketing. Nelson got a subscription to the Wall Street Journal and added more and more land to his sprawling camp. Shortly after he began his forays into real estate
, a health inspector
declared his zoo unhygenic and demanded he install lavatories. Nelson did, but the Health Department found them "unsatisfactory", and in 1960 he was forced to close his zoo. With no income, the taxes on the land became too much for him, and he ended up borrowing $100,000 ($ in today's dollars) to pay them.
Nelson already had a deep-seated mistrust of the government, and the closing of his zoo was, to him, enough to confirm his paranoia. He became more and more closed off. He began to dam
the river leading to his camp to keep boats away, and installed fences and padlocks to discourage land travelers. He put up signs around his land reading "Danger: Land Mines". As added discouragement, he kept a 12-gauge
shotgun
with him at all times.
He began to develop severe stomach pains, refused to see a doctor. He distrusted them because his brother-in-law had died after having a pacemaker
installed. It was speculated among friends that the pains were from cancer, but they could have been an acid
condition.
By the 1960s Nelson had become so reclusive that he would not let even trusted friends visit him without first sending a postcard to ask his permission. He ventured into town once a week to check his mail at the post office, and would sometimes buy steaks, but for the most part he remained holed-up in his cabin. Years later, his nephew recalled his uncle's change in personality: "During the last 10 years, his eyes seemed to lose their sparkle. He became a lonely man, and a rather sick one."
.
Nelson was found dead in his cabin from a shotgun blast to his stomach on July 30, 1968. The Coroner
's Office ruled it a suicide
, and the Martin County Sheriff's Office deemed it a "pretty clear-cut case". However, many Florida locals had their doubts. "If it were [sic] a suicide, why did[n't] he do a head shot instead of a chest shot?" asked Bessie DuBois. The theory was that he stuck the shotgun in the ground, leaned over and pulled the trigger, even though it would have taken considerable effort and flexibility on Nelson's part.
It was undeniable that Nelson had enemies. Floridian trappers envied his skill and viewed him as an outsider because he was from New Jersey. The State wanted to develop his land into condominium
s and golf course
s. Shortly before his death, a man who repaired one of Nelson's jeeps found out he was sick and had not seen a doctor in six months. The man took him to a doctor who prescribed him painkillers. A neighbor, and the last man to see Nelson alive, speculated: "I guess it would be possible for someone to sneak up on him. Ordinarily it would be impossible... but if he were doped up, well that would be different."
Some friends considered suicide a possibility, however. His stomach pains may have taken a substantial part in a decision to end his life. An executor of Nelson's will said he had told his sister that he would "rather die than be an invalid."
. The site is now known as the Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
. After the land was converted to a park, but still unopen to the public, the camp was often vandalized. One of Nelson's tool sheds was burned down; the arson
ist attempted to burn other buildings but was unsuccessful.
In April 1984, park rangers discovered Nelson's "treasure": a hiding place in his chimney held 5,005 coins, totaling $1,829.46. The coins ranged in date from the 1890s to the 1960s. A thorough search of the camp was conducted before revealing the find to the public, but nothing more was found.
The camp still stands today, with his cabin, two guest cabins, a chicken shelter, docks, a boathouse, and assorted cages from his zoo. There are also fruit trees that he planted, including surinam cherry
, Java plum
and wild almond.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
trapper, hunter, and zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
founder. Though he was born in New Jersey, and lived in Mexico and Texas, he is best known for establishing a homestead-turned-zoo on the shore of the Loxahatchee River
Loxahatchee River
The Loxahatchee River The Loxahatchee River The Loxahatchee River (Seminole for river of turtles is a 7.6 mile river near the southeast coast of Florida. It is a National Wild and Scenic River, one of only two in the state, and received its federal designation on May 17, 1985. The 1930s pioneer...
in Florida. Filled with exotic and wild animals, his zoo was a popular tourist spot in the 1940s and 50s, visited by local and national celebrities. Because of this, he became known locally as "Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
of the Loxahatchee".
The zoo was eventually shut down by State health inspectors in 1960. After his zoo was closed, Nelson became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
and suffered from undiagnosed health problems. In 1968, he was found dead from a gunshot wound in his cabin by a friend. His death was ruled a suicide. Nelson's campsite is now known as the Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
The Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District, also known as Trapper Nelson Hunting Camp and Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site, is an historic district located south of Hobe Sound, Florida, in the United States. It is inside Jonathan Dickinson State Park at 16450 Southeast Federal Highway. On October 3,...
in Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. The park includes a variety of natural communities, such as sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps. The Loxahatchee River, which was...
, Hobe Sound
Hobe Sound, Florida
Hobe Sound is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,376 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography and climate:...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Early life
Trapper Nelson was born Vincent Nostokovich (or Natulkiewicz) to PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
immigrant parents in Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in 1908 or 1909. As a boy, to earn money he began trapping animals such as muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s in the marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es of New Jersey. His parents did not speak English, so Nelson would often assist them in translating to make sure they were not taken advantage of. However, when his mother died and his father remarried, Nelson ran away from home, heading west.
Hopping freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s, Nelson first ended up in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, then eventually in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. While there, he was arrested by the Federales
Federales
Federales is a short term for the Mexican Federal Police or any of its predecessors, including the Federal Investigations Agency or the Federal Preventive Police. The term gained widespread usage by English-speakers due to popularization in such films as The Wild Bunch, The Treasure of the Sierra...
under suspicion of gunrunning
Gunrunning
Arms trafficking, also known as gunrunning, is the illegal trafficking or smuggling of contraband weapons or ammunition.The 1997 Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms provides a more refined and precise definition, which has become internationally accepted...
. He spent time in a Mexican jail and was later released. Nelson later claimed his release was because he "wrecked their food budget."
After his release Nelson headed back east with 10 cents to his name. He made money for food by gambling with other road bums until he made it to southern Florida, where he, his step brother Charles Nelson and friend John Dykas set up camp.
Settlement on the Loxahatchee
Nelson and his partners settled on the beach by the Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County, FloridaPalm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, in the late 1920s. Bessie DuBois, wife of John DuBois, recalled seeing him for the first time in 1927 or 1928. The DuBoises owned a restaurant that Nelson would frequent, and Bessie made note of his eccentric eating habits: "He would order a pie—not a piece of pie, mind you, but a pie—and he'd eat the whole thing right in front of me." He ate ice cream by the half-gallon, and there were stories that he once ate 18 eggs for breakfast.
Things did not stay peaceful for long. On December 17, 1931, Charles Nelson shot partner John Dykas in the back, killing him. Trapper Nelson, angered by his step-brother's actions, testified against him at the trial for Dykas' murder. Charles was given a 20-year sentence at Raiford Prison
Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
. Disillusioned with civilization, Nelson withdrew from the beach, settling deep in the woods on the Loxahatchee River
Loxahatchee River
The Loxahatchee River The Loxahatchee River The Loxahatchee River (Seminole for river of turtles is a 7.6 mile river near the southeast coast of Florida. It is a National Wild and Scenic River, one of only two in the state, and received its federal designation on May 17, 1985. The 1930s pioneer...
that same December. Using what little money he had and money borrowed from his sister, he bought 800 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s.
Physically imposing at 6' 4" and 240 pounds, he lived by trapping, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
in what was then wild country. He made money by selling the furs of the animals he trapped, and ate the meat, starting rumors that he ate everything from possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s to stray house cats. He acquired extensive land holdings, bidding on tax auctions during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He would on occasion bid against Judge C. E. Chillingworth
Curtis Chillingworth
Curtis Eugene Chillingworth was a Florida attorney and state judge who disappeared from his Manalapan, Florida home, and was later murdered along with his wife, Marjorie Chillingworth.-Background:...
, the judge who had handed down his step-brother's sentence, and the two eventually became friends. When Chillingworth was murdered in the 1950s, Charles Nelson was briefly considered a suspect.
Trapping could only bring Nelson income seasonally, and as south Florida became a popular tourist destination, he came up with a new way to earn money. He eventually developed a zoo on his property in the 1930s, calling it "Trapper Nelson's Zoo and Jungle Gardens". His camp and zoo became popular tourist attractions. Tours along the river from West Palm Beach would stop there for lunch and stretch breaks, and Nelson shared the profits with the boat captains. Locally prominent people and celebrities alike visited, including boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion Gene Tunney
Gene Tunney
James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...
and actor Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, to see his animals, watch Nelson wrestle alligators
Alligator wrestling
Alligator wrestling is an attraction, that later evolved into a sport, that began as a hunting expedition for Native Americans. It has been described as "Alligator capturing techniques"...
, and buy souvenirs.
With his new fame came notoriety. He was known locally as the "Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
of the Loxahatchee", and cared for the locals' exotic pet
Exotic pet
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.The definition is an evolving one; some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy to no longer be considered exotic...
s. He would trap troublesome wild animals, and provided others for parties and events. Rumors were started about his handsomeness, his eating habits (Bessie DuBois denied he ate raw possum), and his romantic exploits. It was told that he courted heiresses and countesses from wealthy Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, and that one conquest was a direct descendant of President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
.
Nelson finally married in 1940 in an attempt to avoid the draft for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His plan failed and he was drafted anyway. He joined the Military Police in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, but while training, he tore a muscle in his leg and was transferred to Camp Murphy, which was very close to his land.
Decline
Upon his return to the Loxahatchee, Nelson discovered that his wife had a new lover. He divorced his wife, and after that Nelson would buy cars for the women he wooed, paying for them in installments to ensure they would stay for at least a while.Focusing again on his zoo, he found that property values were skyrocketing. Nelson got a subscription to the Wall Street Journal and added more and more land to his sprawling camp. Shortly after he began his forays into real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, a health inspector
Health inspector
A health inspector is a public employee who investigates health hazards in a wide variety of locations, then will take action to mitigate or eliminate the hazards...
declared his zoo unhygenic and demanded he install lavatories. Nelson did, but the Health Department found them "unsatisfactory", and in 1960 he was forced to close his zoo. With no income, the taxes on the land became too much for him, and he ended up borrowing $100,000 ($ in today's dollars) to pay them.
Nelson already had a deep-seated mistrust of the government, and the closing of his zoo was, to him, enough to confirm his paranoia. He became more and more closed off. He began to dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
the river leading to his camp to keep boats away, and installed fences and padlocks to discourage land travelers. He put up signs around his land reading "Danger: Land Mines". As added discouragement, he kept a 12-gauge
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
with him at all times.
He began to develop severe stomach pains, refused to see a doctor. He distrusted them because his brother-in-law had died after having a pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
installed. It was speculated among friends that the pains were from cancer, but they could have been an acid
Gastric acid
Gastric acid is a digestive fluid, formed in the stomach. It has a pH of 1 to 2 and is composed of hydrochloric acid , and large quantities of potassium chloride and sodium chloride...
condition.
By the 1960s Nelson had become so reclusive that he would not let even trusted friends visit him without first sending a postcard to ask his permission. He ventured into town once a week to check his mail at the post office, and would sometimes buy steaks, but for the most part he remained holed-up in his cabin. Years later, his nephew recalled his uncle's change in personality: "During the last 10 years, his eyes seemed to lose their sparkle. He became a lonely man, and a rather sick one."
Death
In July 1968, Nelson failed to appear for a planned meeting with an old friend. John DuBois, at whose house the meeting was supposed to take place, became worried and drove to Nelson's camp. When he surveyed the campsite, everything appeared to be in order, until he got to Nelson's chickeeChickee
Chikee or Chickee is a shelter supported by posts, with a raised floor, a thatched roof and open sides. The chickee style of architecture — palmetto thatch over a bald cypress log frame — was adopted by Seminoles during the Second and Third Seminole War as U.S...
.
Nelson was found dead in his cabin from a shotgun blast to his stomach on July 30, 1968. The Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's Office ruled it a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and the Martin County Sheriff's Office deemed it a "pretty clear-cut case". However, many Florida locals had their doubts. "If it were [sic] a suicide, why did[n't] he do a head shot instead of a chest shot?" asked Bessie DuBois. The theory was that he stuck the shotgun in the ground, leaned over and pulled the trigger, even though it would have taken considerable effort and flexibility on Nelson's part.
It was undeniable that Nelson had enemies. Floridian trappers envied his skill and viewed him as an outsider because he was from New Jersey. The State wanted to develop his land into condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s and golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s. Shortly before his death, a man who repaired one of Nelson's jeeps found out he was sick and had not seen a doctor in six months. The man took him to a doctor who prescribed him painkillers. A neighbor, and the last man to see Nelson alive, speculated: "I guess it would be possible for someone to sneak up on him. Ordinarily it would be impossible... but if he were doped up, well that would be different."
Some friends considered suicide a possibility, however. His stomach pains may have taken a substantial part in a decision to end his life. An executor of Nelson's will said he had told his sister that he would "rather die than be an invalid."
Legacy
A few months after Nelson's death, the state traded land for Nelson's estate, which became part of Jonathan Dickinson State ParkJonathan Dickinson State Park
Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. The park includes a variety of natural communities, such as sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, mangroves, and river swamps. The Loxahatchee River, which was...
. The site is now known as the Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District
The Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District, also known as Trapper Nelson Hunting Camp and Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site, is an historic district located south of Hobe Sound, Florida, in the United States. It is inside Jonathan Dickinson State Park at 16450 Southeast Federal Highway. On October 3,...
. After the land was converted to a park, but still unopen to the public, the camp was often vandalized. One of Nelson's tool sheds was burned down; the arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist attempted to burn other buildings but was unsuccessful.
In April 1984, park rangers discovered Nelson's "treasure": a hiding place in his chimney held 5,005 coins, totaling $1,829.46. The coins ranged in date from the 1890s to the 1960s. A thorough search of the camp was conducted before revealing the find to the public, but nothing more was found.
The camp still stands today, with his cabin, two guest cabins, a chicken shelter, docks, a boathouse, and assorted cages from his zoo. There are also fruit trees that he planted, including surinam cherry
Surinam Cherry
The Surinam Cherry, Brazilian Cherry, or Cayenne Cherry is a plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to tropical America. Known as Pitanga throughout Brazil or Ñangapirí in surrounding countries, it is a large shrub or small tree with a conical form, growing slowly to 8 meters in height...
, Java plum
Spondias mombin
Spondias mombin is a tree, a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the tropical Americas, including the West Indies. The tree has been naturalized in parts of Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. It is rarely cultivated.The mature fruit has a leathery skin and a...
and wild almond.