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Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite
Life and Death on the Loxahatchee: The Story of Trapper Nelson by James D. Snyder is a fascinating study of a Florida notable whose death, ruled a suicide, evokes conspiracy theories to this day. Vince “Trapper” Nelson, born Vincent Nataulkiewicz in New Jersey in 1908, settled along the banks of the Loxahatchee River in the 1930s. Initially, he led a life of subsistence trapping and hunting but expanded into tourism in the 1940s and 50s with boats bringing curious visitors, including national celebrities, to see his camp, primitive zoo, alligator wrestling, and rustic guest cabins. Known locally as the "Tarzan of the Loxahatchee," Nelson acquired parcels of land that are part of the Jonathan Dickinson State Park today. His campsite is a designated historic site.
In Life and Death on the Loxahatchee, James D. Snyder gives an utterly engaging and well-documented presentation. Having read his novel La Florida: When Spain “Discovered” Florida and Two Proud Nations Clashed, I looked forward to his treatment of a modern subject. I wasn’t disappointed. Through extensive interviews and research, Snyder brings the man and his times to life in a well-organized and flowing narrative bolstered by vivid descriptions, photographs, and an appendix of personal letters written to Trapper’s family. From his hobo days, through the Depression and World War II, to periods of economic success and notoriety, to his financial struggles, imposed isolation, health issues, and death, Trapper Nelson remains mysterious in many ways. You cannot read this story without being amazed at the life he led.
