A Haunted History of Pasco County

by Madonna Jervis Wise

In a land occupied for thousands of years, mystery and unrest linger. Anguished soldierly figures dot the landscape of Pasco County, from the doomed march of Major Dade and his haunted hill to the ghost of Captain Jeffries standing watch over his homestead in Zephyrhills. A pair of spirits drifts about near a Dade City pond, perhaps the brother and sister cut down during the infamous Bradley Massacre. Echoes of the once rugged frontier rebound from the Ellis-Gillett feud, vigilantism and Sheriff Bart's justice. Obliterating the mounds of indigenous people cast an ever-present and ominous tone over sacred grounds throughout the county. Author Madonna Wise shares ethereal accounts of the Meighan Theatre, the treacherous Road to Nowhere, the Edwinola Hotel and more.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published September 14, 2020

About the author

Madonna Jervis Wise delights in writing and riding. She is a life-long historian and genealogist.
She served as a school principal, teacher, counselor and district school administrator in three Florida school districts. With a B.A. from Taylor University in history and an M.S. from the University of South Florida in counselor education and school administration, she holds credentials as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Grant Institute Certification in Florida.
Her recent release: “A Haunted History of Pasco County,” represents her first venture into a new genre, however her writing has been diverse from curriculums and federal grants in academia as well published fiction, non-fiction, historical accounts and newspaper journalism. She has previously authored numerous books including three local Florida histories for Arcadia Publishing.
Madonna enjoys researching family history with her husband, Ernest, also an educator. She is an accomplished equestrian and can often be found on the trail on her beloved Paint/Pinto, Saltwater Cowboy and she savors time with her own three adult children, J. Jervis Wise, Esq. Mamie V. J. Wise, Esq., and Rachel Beth Wise and her glorious grandchildren.

Her books include the following: Wesley Chapel; Zephyrhills; Dade City; A Haunted History of Pasco County; Tapestry (history of Zephyrhills schools); Sam & Company; Juanita in Blue Cookbook; Wildcat Creek Kids; Preacher Woman; and a book she co-authored with her daughter entitled: Kachina and the Bully. Madonna is currently working on another book for Arcadia/History Press entitled: Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay.

Reviews

[Sam Lackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first of these kinds of books, though I have picked up a few in the past. I never brought one home, before tonight.

It is fun reading about places you've seen, or that you drive by occasionally. Some of the stories are told through a kind of oral tradition, and some seem to be based more in a written / recorded history.

If you consider yourself a skeptic, you might find yourself wondering how much that's relayed in the book is true. The references listed cite many newspaper articles, but not much beyond that-- and they usually deal with the various closings or openings of locations. Not much in the way of the darker stories. It leans heavily on the oral tradition which is appreciated, but the book could use a more expansive, objective, historical background.

There is plenty of macabre or dark history in Pasco; sundown laws, Jim crow, migrant worker abuse, modern day sex trafficking, etc. It is barely touched on in the book, other than a small sampling of hangings or vigilante justice in the span of just one or two stories, with a smattering of interviews, ghost stories, oddities.

It is an enjoyable read, but probably not for anyone who isn't familiar with the area.