This geocache is part of the Historic Trail of GeoTour – Sebring Area Florida’s Hidden Gem (GT48D). Visit https://visitsebring.com/activities/geocaching/ for complete information. Print off passport from link provided and log codewords from each geocache part of the GeoTour to obtain a free trackable coin. Please be mindful of vegetation around the area.
Jonathan Skipper is believed to be one of the first settlers in Highlands County, when he purchased 40 acres of land in 1881 having purchased the land from Atlantic Land and Improvement Co. This land had its beginning millions of years ago when the mastodons and other large creatures walked the earth. When Skipper started to clear the land for his log house and orange grove, it is said he uncovered many relics from the Native Americans including arrowheads, pottery, knives and other artifacts. By 1920, Skipper’s son, Chesley Skipper, had acquired the title to several hundred acres of the Hammock and the surrounding area. It was at that time that a group of Sebring businessmen formed a corporation called Hooker Hammock Farms. The intention of the corporation was to promote farming in the area. They bought the Hammock for fifty dollars per acre for a total of $22,500, from Chesley Skipper.
The Skippers owned orange groves as well as cattle ranches in the area for close to a century. Many of the decendants of the Skippers still live within the area.