This Virtual cache is a pretty quick 4 step meander into Micanopy, FL with stages intertwining two important tales from the town. Three questions, two easy tasks. Do not attempt at night. No dogs at the first two stages.
Step 1: Dr. Lucius M. Montgomery Sr. and his son, Dr. Harvey Lucius Montgomery Jr. were both doctors in the early Micanopy community. Their general practice was called Montgomery & Montgomery, Physicians and Surgeons.
In addition to his medical practice, Lucius Montgomery Jr. was also known for indulging in unsavory "non-medical" practices. His drinking and antics with women succeded in getting him in trouble with the law numerous times. The situation came to a head in 1889 when the Presbyterian church, attended by the Montgomery family, decided to prosecute Montgomery Jr. on adultery charges. Hearings were held by the church and it was decided by a jury that the charges against Montgomery Jr. be validated. However, the sheriff decided against the charge and overruled the verdict. The newspapers called it "The Micanopy Affair."
The Micanopy Affair did nothing to dissuade Montgomery Jr. from his disruptive behavior. On July 9, 1912, the Ocala Star Banner, reported that Montgomery Jr. had visited town Sunday night loaded up with four pistols. While his son was in jail, Montgomery Sr. talked with the authories and asked them to keep his son in jail until the alcohol had evaporated from his system. At this point, Montgomery Sr. put a notice in the paper stating that his son was causing all the trouble, and requested that the newspaper distinguish between them.
Question 1: You should be standing at Lucius M. Montgomery Sr.'s grave. Buried next to him is his first wife, Madora. What two states are mentioned on her gravestone?
--
Step 2: As you likely just read, Madora, died in the Flying Cloud incident on Orange Lake in 1871. Montgomery Sr.'s second wife Lucinda donated a portion of their property to establish the Micanopy Cemetery.
The Flying Cloud was a sailboat owned by George W. Means. On June 16, 1871 Micanopy residents were enjoying a day out when a group decided to take a ride on the Flying Cloud. After one of the boys pulled at the sails, the boat capsized. When the boat went down, seven of the group died including Mrs. Madora Montgomery, Ella Winecoff, Addie Shufford, Maggie Simonton, Johnnie Simonton, Isaab Bowen, and Florence McIlvaine.
Please head to N 29 30.118 W 082 17.126, in the same cemetary. You will be standing next to the grave of Johnnie Means Simonton, another victim of the Flying Cloud sinking.
Question 2: How old was Johnnie when he died on the Flying Cloud? Close to Johnnie's grave is another grave, with one name on it. What is that name?
From an account at the time: "Mary swallowed a great deal of water and Lizzie says she was perfectly blue when she came up. Had to be carried to the boat four times, could scarcely cling on was so exhausted. Lizzie says she felt her feet touch something and gave a push and came up by the boat and caught it herself and succeeded in getting on the bottom of the boat. Little Johnnie was found this morning and his little dead hands were full of sand from the bottom. Florence was found on shore."
--
Step 3: Leave the Cemetery and head to N 29 30.190 W 082 16.990 ; a walk or a drive. Here you will find the Montgomery Wall, all that remains of Dr. Lucius Montgomery’s estate which burned down three times since it was originally built in the 1800s. His first house was destroyed by fire in 1895, the second in 1911 and the last in the 1930s, yet the wall that separated the estate remains somewhat the same. The wall and gate were built in 1900 from English bricks brought as balast on a ship that docked at Palatka. The wall was rebuilt in 1998 by the Federal Bureau of Historic Preservation. Park close by, and you are looking for the Gate and wall...
Task #1: Take a photo of yourself standing in the gate, or of the gate itself with a personal item in the shot. Examples include a trackable or a piece of paper with your username.
--
Step 4: Back to the "Flying Cloud"; there were two Simonton children on board who perished. One was "Johnny Simonton, a sprightly lad .... whose genial and kind disposition endeared family and friends", and who you already visited and "Miss Maggie Simonton, an intelligent and young lady, whose qualities,of head had won for her the friendship of a relatives and friends, who are at her sad and untimely fate".
Now head to the Simonton House N 29 30.237 W 082 16.776, which is in town. This Queen Anne-style Victorian, built in 1910 by cattle rancher James Boyce Simonton, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ionic columned verandah and other features inspired a reference to it in a 1911 edition of the Gainesville Sun as "one of the prettiest houses in Micanopy."
Task #2: Grab a photo of the insect that is pinned to the front of the house with your selfie or personal item in the shot. Examples include a trackable or a piece of paper with your username.
Thanks for attemping this virtual and I hope it gave some insight into some of the history of the Micanopy, the oldest inland town in Florida.
Log away, and send your two answers to me via messaging or email, and attach your photos to your log.
---
Made possible by the excellent summaries by P. Marlin August 2018 and other records.
-----
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.