Local history: Unsung hero of historic preservation
The start of a new calendar year is an ideal time to direct our conscious thoughts to the concept of hope and gratitude. As most of us find ourselves surrounded by a vortex of often harsh information which is regularly presented in a less than gentle manner, a heartwarming story seems welcome and appropriate at the beginning of 2022. So here is a story to remind us of the historical context from which we have all been born, set in a time of simple yet profound grace.
The story of Louis Bartling is a notable excerpt from the book “Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge – Home of History” by Sandra Henderson Thurlow and Deanna Wintercorn Thurlow. I present Mr. Bartling’s story with the authors’ blessing.
When Martin County applied to purchase the abandoned U.S. Coast Guard Station in 1952, Capt. Louie Bartling was part of the deal. In an official resolution sent to the Department of Interior, the county resolved to continue to take care of William "Louis" Bartling, who was a resident “squatter” on the property. His living arrangement at the House of Refuge was in a sense, a source of old-age financial assistance to the elderly Capt. Bartling.
It is impossible to verify when Louie Bartling arrived on Hutchinson Island. But, Val Clear, director of the House of Refuge Museum from 1955 to 1957, did make a list of Bartling’s official documents, certified their authenticity, and transcribed the Captain’s statement: “I was shipwrecked at Hutchinson Island in October 1902, and Stanley Kitching picked me up in the shipwreck.” The list of documents included a passport certifying that Bartling was born in Bremerhaven, Germany, July 4, 1865, and Voter Registration Certificate “No. 57” for the town of Jensen dated November 1931.
Qurlie Humble, who as a coast guardsman was stationed at Gilbert’s Bar in 1942, reminisced about a “nice old gent with an accent who lived near the station and taught him how to tie knots.” Bartling received his training on the Nautical School Ship Saratoga and served on sailing ships, and would certainly have been qualified to teach knot-tying.
When the U.S. Coast Guard abandoned Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge at the close of World War II, Capt. Louie remained. He was the unofficial caretaker of the former House of Refuge until it became a museum in 1956. Members of the Historical Society felt responsible for his welfare, and its lease with the county stipulated that Capt. Louie could remain in his boar-house-shack within sight of the museum for the rest of his life.
The crusty old retired seafarer became a familiar character to the residents of Martin County. Capt. Louie frequently trekked to Jensen Beach to pick up mail and supplies and often flagged people traveling along the beach road asking for a lift; in reality, he would stand in the middle of the narrow road and more or less demand a lift. Capt. Louie particularly enjoyed frequent visits to the Sandpiper snack bar at the public beach at Jensen, where he inevitably encounter a variety of beachgoers. Carney Forgey, who ran the Sandpiper snack shop in the 1950s, became his special friend.
On June 7, 1957, the Stuart News announced a “surprise” 91st birthday party for Louie. It would be held at the Sandpiper Inn on July 4 and was co-sponsored by the Sandpiper Inn and the Historical Society. Contributions could be dropped off at the museum or the snack shop. There was no concern that Capt. Louie would discover the announcement, since he obviously was not a reader of the local newspaper.
When 50 children and 100 adults showered him with gifts and sang “Happy Birthday,” the old man’s eyes welled with tears. He exclaimed, “This is my first birthday party in my whole life.”
On Nov. 19, 1958, Charles Gaye, a toll taker on the new Indian River Bridge, observed an explosion and fire near the House of Refuge Museum. Firemen from Stuart, Jensen Beach and Palm City rushed to the scene, but Capt. Louie’s boat-house-shack was engulfed in flames. Fifty firemen painstakingly sifted through the still-hot ashes or searched the shoreline of the river in the vain hope of finding the old man alive. Finally, his remains were found in the kitchen. Investigators determined that his small cooking stove had exploded.
The article about the fire, published on the front page of the Stuart News the following day, included a lengthy obituary. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Campbell, a couple who had visited Stuart residents Mr. and Mrs. Steven O’Connor and met Capt. Louie, were in Italy when they read about Capt. Louie’s death in the Rome Daily American. In January 1959, the Stuart News ran an item recounting that “Capt. Louie Bartling Got Worldwide Obit.”
To honor the resident seaman, one of the earliest loggerhead turtles hatched at the House of Refuge Museum was given the name “Capt. Louie.” It grew to an immense size and was on display in the old cistern for years. Capt. Louie, like his namesake, lived beside the House of Refuge for decades and was very much a part of its history.
In the introduction of this story, I postulated that grace is an ideal state of mind from which to launch into a new year. This story is replete with heroes who demonstrate grace in the same way they chose to navigate life. Luckily for us, the people in this story are our ancestors, and their grace has been, in a fashion, passed along to us. Let’s agree to take some out and use it in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Local history: Unsung hero of historic preservation
