Trapper Nelson - Settlement On The Loxahatchee

Settlement On The Loxahatchee

Nelson and his partners settled on the beach by the Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County, Florida, 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 acres.

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 possums 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 pets. 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.