Capt. Louis Barling, 1956

Children surround William Louis Bartling (1867-1958) at a party for his 91st birthday at the Sandpiper Restaurant in Jensen Beach, arranged by museum director Val Clear. Bartling claimed he was shipwrecked near the House of Refuge in about 1903. While he lived in several places afterward, including Jensen Beach, by 1954 he had lived in a shack near the Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge so long, he was considered a fixture. When the county purchased the lifesaving station from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1954, one of the agreements was that the county take care of Bartling, and he was allowed to continue to live in his shack near the House of Refuge land. He died in a fire in 1958.

Published in the Miami Herald (6 July 1956).

Scan gift of Historical Society of Martin County.

Miami Herald

Copyright Undetermined The copyright and related rights status of this Item has been reviewed by the Martin County Library System, but we have been unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the Item. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For more information, visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/

Black and white print; 7.8x10 inches

English

Still image

HSMC-2023-018-2-b2-004

2023.018

Photographic print