- Trapper Nelson
Infobox Person
name = Trapper Nelson
birth_name = Vincent Nostokovich
birth_place = Trenton,New Jersey ,United States
death_date = 1968
death_place =Hobe Sound ,Florida , United StatesTrapper Nelson, born Vincent Nostokovich, settled on the
Loxahatchee River inMartin County, Florida ,
Martin CountyFlorida in the mid-1930s. Physically imposing at 6' 4" and 240 pounds, he lived by trapping, hunting, and fishing in what was then wild country. As the population of south Florida grew, he acquired extensive land holdings. [http://www.jupiter.fl.us/HistoryWeb/KidsHistory/Trapper-Nelson.cfm Jupiter Kids' History: Trapper Nelson] ] . He eventually developed a zoo on his property in the 1950s [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/loxahatchee/ Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, Loxahatchee - Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve] ] , and his camp and zoo became popular tourist attractions, where such celebrities as Gene Tunney and Gary Cooper visited. He was known locally as the "Tarzan of the Loxahatchee".He was found dead in his cabin by a friend in 1968, and his death was ruled a suicide. His land was acquired by the state of Florida, and is now part of
Jonathan Dickinson State Park [http://www.floridaparktours.com/trappernelsons.html Loxahatchee River Adventures at Jonathan Dickinson State Park] ] .References
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