Tom Gaskins Sr founder of the Cypress Knee Museum In the 1930's Tom homesteaded on Fisheasting creek. He was fascinated by the cypress knees in the swamp. Knobby root growth that actually assist in stabilizing the plant in the swamp. Tom had experiments in the swamp to the east of U.S. 27 where a 3/4mile 2x4 catwalk sunk into the mud led tourist through Gaskins swampy world. He put weights on the roots even grew a telephone into a knee. Tom encourage people to eat wood for its nutritional properties " That's the cambium layer, " he'd say through a mouthful of pulp licking a newly peeled knee. " Without it there'd be no life on this Earth." He displayed his cypress knees at the Florida pavillion in 1939-40 New York City, he still holds the only U.S. patent 2,069,580 on article of manufacture made from cypress. In 1951 Tom finally opened a museum west of U.S. 27 right across from the catwalk stop. The museum had multiple showcases with hundreds of knees scattered inside. Each knee had a name for what it most commonly resembled on a tag in front. Once I-95 and I-75 were built the traffic to the Museum dwindled to a trickle. Army corp of engineers also built dykes and canals off Lake Okochobee which slowed the flow of water through his area as well. 1990's proved to be a battle when Lady Bird Johnson law forced removal of all their homemade cypress billboards from the Florida highways. But the federal goverment did make laws prohibiting cutting of cypress trees. So in theory the museum's collection could never be duplicated. 1998 Tom Gaskins Sr passes away. 2000 Break in at the museum most of the prized knees and exhibits were stolen. Tom Gaskins Jr Tom Sr's son, closes its doors and it hasn't been reopened.
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