Hi...I'm considering taking a drive from Tampa to Oklawaha to see the house where Ma & Freddie had their last stand. I understand the landowner does not want anyone on the property-can the house be seen from the road? Could anyone help with directions (highway AND to where the house is) thanks
The property in rundown and the owner had "private property" signs on it. The Chamber of Commerce can direct you to the driveway, but will tell you not to drive up to the old house. There are several bushes and trees making it hard to see from the Frontage road. Good luck and make sure a ghost of Ma and Fred Barker don't shoot at you!
Take I-75 north to exit 341, go east through Belleview and on to Ocklawaha. There is a sheriff substation there who will give you direction. They will also tell you it is private property. The house is hdden behind some overgrown banboo. The best way to see it is go up an alley to the east of the property and walk back to the west along the beach. This is the area where the agents fired at the house. The house is being remodeled or was when I was there a couple of years ago. You will see the porch were the agents knocked on the door and the upstair window were the Barkers allegedly fired back at the agents.
Those were good directions, but we should remember that the home is on private property. We need to respect the rights of the owner. Many photo's still exit of the home via the National Archives and/or Library of Congress. Thanks for your help to those who wished to know the location.
The best way to see the Barker Hideout in Ocklawaha is by boat from Lake Weir!! It is a beautiful location and you can see why they choose to "hang out" here. A casual lakeside restaurant just down the street from the old Barker bungelow has immortilized the old "Gator Joe" mentioned by the Barker's as a Lake resident in the 1930's. (The food there is great and a fun atmosphere too!) The community used to do a re-enactment of the shootout with the FBI, up until this year. They have been having trouble in the past few years with community invovement in order to make the event successful. We vacation in Ocklawaha every year and love the Ma Barker stories!!
Thanks for the information. Yes, the lake is nice and it is obvious why the Barker's stayed there, far away from the Mid-west where the heat was on for them. "Doc" Barker should have also left Chicago during this time period.
I took a trip there last fall; it's only about an hour and twenty minutes from where I live. It looks (eerily) almost the same as it was back then, compared to period photos...the undergrowth patterns have changed, the "No Trespassing" signs are more prevalent, and the alley to the east (where the agents made contact) has been closed off by adjacent property owners. But, the bullet holes are still there (and easily visible), and we took some photos from the vantage point of the main county road and the front drive going to the house (the wife wouldn't let me get out of the car and snoop). Rob
