Who doesn’t know about the infamous Barker Gang? Surely, the exploits of Kate “Ma” Barker and her gangster sons- Herman, Lloyd, Arthur "Doc" and Fred Barker have become enmeshed in public consciousness. From bank robbery to kidnapping and murder, no crime was too reprehensible for this dastardly family. If you ask Joe Public, he’ll tell you that the Barker Gang’s criminal enterprise was limited to the American Midwest, as that is what we learned on television. If you ask a historian, you will learn there is a more local connection.
When J. Edgar Hoover brought the might of the Federal Government to bear upon the Barker Gang, those who survived the initial contact scattered. Ma and Fred fled to a hideout on Lake Weir, Florida, and following a four hour shootout on January 16, 1935, they were both declared deceased. Most would believe the story ended there, however, as Paul Harvey was fond of pointing out; there is often more to the story.
Fact: The bodies recovered from the Lake Weir home could not be positively identified.
Fact: Due to extensive trauma, all that could be said was that the two bodies were a man and woman.
Fact: A pair of footprints was located leading from the back of the house.
Fact: The footprints ended at a set of tire impressions, indicating a car left the residence in a hurry.
Fact: Fred Barker’s vehicle was not found at the Lake Weir home.
Fact: Rather, it was found hidden in a patch of woods near Christmas, Florida.
Fact: A vehicle belonging to Mrs. Adda Turner, mother to gang member Otis Turner, was found at the home.
Fact: Adda and Otis had the same general build as Ma and Fred Barker.
Fact: The whereabouts of Adda and Otis remain unknown, to this day.
Fact: Gang member Doc Barker insisted for years that Ma and Fred escaped the shootout.
Fact: Only weeks after the shootout, a company called Barker Poster Advertising Company was founded in Bithlo, Fl.
Fact: A private parcel of land under the Barker family name still remains within the Charles H Bronson State Forest.
At this point, local lore must stand in for confirmed history, as the “official” records conflict with what I have learned whilst studying this family. Of particular note was the aforementioned Barker Poster Advertising Company. A check of the original deed for the company showed it was purchased by Katherine and Francis Barker. By submitting the deed to a rather simple angular UV lighting examination, a smudge under the name Francis seems to reveal the name Fred had been written, then erased. Photographs found in the Bithlo Historical Society show Katherine and Francis at the grand opening of their business, and this couple sure does resemble Kate “Ma” and Fred Barker. The proprietor of the Bithlo Tavern, Bubba Riffster, told me that everyone in town knew that Ma and Fred Barker lived amongst them, and had reached celebrity status. Bubba provided me with this map, which he found in a desk purchased from the Barker Estate, when it was liquidated to pay taxes.
After many years spent comparing this map to other imagery, I believe I have located the proper reference point. There is an "X" on the map listed as “Ma’s treasure”. While talking with other Bithlo residents, I learned that Ma Barker kept her life savings and valuables in a small, green, metal box, which might very well be found at the location indicated on the map. You can follow these directions to get there:
Park at the Joshua Trailhead (N 28° 35.512, W 81° 02.539) on Phillips Road. Note there is a $2 per person fee for day use.
From the cache coordinates proceed east on Phillips Road about 0.3 miles to the Florida National Scenic Trail, (FNST), at N 28° 35.481, W 81° 02.249. Turn south, and follow the FNST generally eastward about 2.6 miles to where it intersects with the River Trail (N 28° 35.373, W 81° 00.414.) Continue generally northeast on the FNST for another 0.3 miles where it crosses a dirt road and another 500 feet to a foot bridge. From there, project a waypoint 480 feet, on a bearing of 77 degrees magnetic, to locate Ma’s Treasure, a metal box hidden behind an old sign. Rumor has it there is a shiny round metal thingamajig in a red Christmas sack for the FTF.
Please use caution and wear bright orange clothing when entering the area during hunting season. Hunt dates can be found in the Charles H. Bronson brochure located on the FWC website at http://www.myfwc.com/hunting/wma-brochures. Cache site has been approved by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Forestry Permit #CB-14-03.
(You can upload a trailmap to your GPS units here: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4212412 )