The Clear Water Gator

A Brief History of Moccasin Wallow

Buford Walker was the great great grandson of the famous scotch whiskey maker Johnny Walker. Buford, who was financially well off from two separate family endowments, could afford to indulge his passion for sport fishing. His favorite location for his fishing was Florida’s second largest lake, Lake Apopka, where he caught large mouth bass.

Buford liked to wade fish and utilized live shiners for bait. He retained the services of a local handyman, Willie Jerome, who would wade along well behind carrying the bait, drinks, and a cooler for the fish. They always kept all the fish caught and frequently had fish well in excess 10 pounds. Fish in the range of 15 pounds were not uncommon.

It was February 1911, Buford and Willie were fishing their favorite spot in the lake on the extreme eastern shore near a point of high land covered with large live oaks and magnolias. Buford had caught several large bass including one exceptionally large (witnesses later in the day would estimate the weight of this fish to be more than 18 or 19 pounds, possibly world record size). Buford was fishing in waist deep water when he became entangled with breeding moccasins. He was bitten numerous times (later examination would find eighteen bites). Buford calmly walked to the shoreline as if he were not hurt where he sat down. He told Willie to go for help. Willie found some local citrus workers who helped carry Buford up the hill to an old turpentine trail where he was loaded on a mule drawn sled and carried to a clinic in the village of Apopka where he died later that afternoon.

The citrus workers told of the huge fish they had seen that day. Willie denied that the fish was all that big but couldn’t remember what happened to it.

Buford’s mother, knowing how her son had loved the lake, purchased the point of land with the magnolias and live oaks, and, after improving the old turpentine trail, held a memorial service on the anniversary of her son’s death each year under the giant magnolias. It was after the third such service, when Mrs. Walker walked to the shoreline for a view of the lake, that she was bitten by a large snake herself. She survived but held no more memorials there. The locals named the spot Moccasin Wallow.

After Mrs. Walker’s death in 1947 at the age of 94, the land was sold by her estate to a developer who constructed an exclusive fishing resort. The property has changed hands several times through the years but still retains the name of Moccasin Wallow and is now operated as an exclusive, gated rental complex, with efficiencies, one and two bedroom units; each with a private deepwater boat slip. The complex is located at 3658 Walker Road.

The information in the above document was summarized from records of the Orange County Historical Society Archives located in the West Orange County Annex in Ocoee, Florida.

Moccasin Wallow is on the eastern shore of Lake Apopka on a high bluff of shoreline known as Paradise Point.  It has been my home since 1998 when I purchased the complex and moved there to manage the construction of three of the Western Beltway contracts for the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.    Lake Apopka, also known as "Big Mama" is so big the far shoreline cannot be seen to the west.  The sunsets are spectacular!!   The Lake is loaded with striped bass, speckled perch and huge aligator gar weighing up to 100 pounds each.