By Walt Belcher
Arguably, nothing symbolizes Florida more than the alligator.
This legendary descendent from the age of dinosaurs can be found in lakes, rivers and swamps throughout the state.
And, of course, Albert E. Gator and Alberta Gator are the mascots and symbols of the University of Florida. Go Gators!
It’s fitting that “Old Joe,” a legendary alligator from Mount Dora’s past, adorns the poster for the 2027 Florida Storytelling Festival to be held in January.
The poster, designed by storyteller Robin Schulte, features the 15-foot-long, life-sized bronze statue in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park.
According to legend, “Old Joe” was a fearsome alligator who lived in Lake Dora. The stories go back to the early 1800s.
He was known by paddlewheel steamboat captains as the largest, fiercest, and most respected critter on the lake.
Local lore says he would eat not only fish but deer, livestock and other animals that ventured too close. He became a menace and a cautionary figure. During the steamboat era (from the1820s to 1920s) stories were told of this creature.
Whenever an alligator swam near a paddleboat, tourists were told it could be “Old Joe.”
Supposedly, Lake Dora is filled with the descendants of the big gator.
Erected in 2018 and created at an estimated cost of $52,000, the 1,200-pound statue was donated by two Mount Dora philanthropists.
The statue, created at the same Florida foundry that made the Conch-Blowing Greeter in Key West, stands at ground level so children (and some adults) can sit on it for photos, a feature that would have been dangerous with the real “Old Joe.” There is a warning that this bronze gator can get hot in warmer months. You’d get a burn instead of a bite.
There is different “Old Joe “alligator legend in nearby Marion County. This gator has been dead so long that only his foot remains on display at Gator Joe’s Restaurant on Lake Weir.
The story goes that in 1920’s this famed gator lurked in the waters of Lake Weir and was rumored to be one of the largest alligators ever seen. Lake Weir and Lake Dora are in the same neck of the Florida woods but are not connected.
Lake Weir “Old Joe” was so famous that when the infamous Ma Barker bank-robbing gang mentioned him in letter that the FBI intercepted, the federal agents were able to pinpoint their location. This resulted in the longest shoot-out in FBI history at the so-called “Ma Barker House” then located on Lake Weir.
On January 16, 1935, FBI agents found the home where the Barker gang was supposedly holed up not far from Gator Joe’s. After a 4-hour gun battle in which between 900 and 1,500 shots were fired, agents found only the bullet-riddled bodies of Ma Baker and one of her sons. And this “Old Joe” reportedly lived until 1952.
The “Ma Barker House” can be toured (see Bradford – Ma Barker House | Ma Barker Gang Hideout | Ocklawaha).
And come to the 2027 Florida Storytelling Festival in Mount Dora. Hear some great stories and take a photo with the bronze gator. Festival tickets are available on this FSA website.