OCKLAWAHA, FL (352today.com) – The bullet-riddled walls of the Bradford-Ma Barker House stand as a solemn reminder that good ultimately triumphs over evil.
On January 16, 2025, a ceremony commemorated the 90th anniversary of the infamous shootout between Fred and Ma Barker and the FBI—a violent 4.5-hour gunfight that marked the end of the gangster era.
“We’re here to acknowledge what happened and that crime doesn’t pay,” said George Albright, Marion County tax collector. His efforts were instrumental in preserving the historic home. “They were the last big players to be taken down.”
A Family’s Dedication to Preservation
Carson Good, whose family owned the property, expressed gratitude to Marion County and George Albright. Good shared how his family’s connection to the house stretches back generations. His great-great-grandfather purchased the land in 1892, and the house was built by his great-grandfather in 1930.
“Pam and I and our whole family are really attached to this property and this house,” said Good. “What really got my interest was to not only be able to preserve the house as the Bradford-Ma Barker House, but when George said, ‘We want to make this a Marion County Historical Museum.'”
Public Interest and Preservation Efforts
In May 2016, a social media post announced a rare public viewing of the Bradford-Ma Barker House, attracting 1,000 visitors. Recognizing the public’s interest, Marion County officials agreed to relocate the house in 2017 after the Bradford-Good family donated it. Due to logistical challenges, the house was moved via barge to its current location in the Carney Island Preservation Area.
Today, the house can be visited by appointment, with a two-year waitlist. Restoration efforts aim to replicate the 1935 setting with historically accurate landscaping and environmental details.
“What you see today is how it looked in 1935,” said Albright.
Honoring the FBI’s Role
Retired Senior FBI agent Doug Jones presented a replica bronze plaque honoring the agents involved in the historic shootout. “Heroic agents of the FBI ended that crime wave,” said Jones, noting it was the longest shootout in FBI history.
The Barker Gang’s Downfall
Originating in the Midwest, the Barker family became notorious for violent crimes during the 1920s and 1930s. Their crime spree escalated with high-profile kidnappings, including a $200,000 ransom in 1934, inadvertently targeting a friend of President Franklin Roosevelt. This intensified FBI efforts to dismantle the gang.
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A critical breakthrough came when a note found on Doc Barker led agents to Ocklawaha, Florida. On January 16, 1935, after refusing to surrender, Ma and Fred Barker were killed in a prolonged firefight. Remarkably, no FBI agents were injured.
It is believed that Ma Barker was the first woman to have been killed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s first director, had great concerns about the public relations nightmare or lack thereof that could occur with the shooting death of a woman at the hands of the agency, said Albright.
“He made it clear that afternoon, Ma Barker was Public Enemy No. 1, if not the most dangerous person in America,” said Albright.
Preserving History for Future Generations
Marion County continues to preserve the Bradford-Ma Barker House as a historical landmark. Plans are in place to further enhance the site’s historical accuracy, ensuring its story endures.
“The gangster movement was one of the first domestic terrorist designations,” said Albright. “The FBI grew alongside it and took down the bad guys.”
The house stands not only as a relic of the past but as a powerful symbol of law enforcement’s role in safeguarding society.”