This is the second post in a series on the history of Pontiac, by Tim Morgan (owner, Pontiac Cove Marina). Stay tuned for more!![]() |
| Rod & Gun Court |
As described in the brochure: Modern Housekeeping Units, Refrigerated, Air Conditioned, Free Freezing Service. On Blacktop Hwy. W, close to Boat Dock, Store & Cafe. Reasonable Rates. Jack & Billie O'Neil, Ph. Gainesville, Osborn 9-2170.
Rod & Gun is located on Highway W and County Road 607. I'm sure many of you have noticed the sign is still standing. There appears to be someone living there, but it has not been a resort since the early '90s. The property was originally patented by Moses Caulder on October 7, 1893. Caulder transferred the property to the Vanmeter family, who then sold it to J.C. and Gracie Drew on August 11, 1955. The Drews built the resort. The Drews only kept it for a year and then sold it to Dale and Pearl Bunn. The Bunns also only kept it for a year and sold it to Marvin and Dorsey Looney on May 31, 1957. Marv still lives in the Pontiac area. He walks almost every morning, and I stopped him one morning and got a little info from him. He told me that the Drews built the five cabins, and the other building was a "cafe and beer joint." I never knew that. (I guess that's one beer joint in Pontiac I missed.) Marv said when he owned it he added an office and bedroom and closed the beer joint and cafe. In 1958 they realized the cabins were over the north property line, so the Looneys purchased some additional property from the Art Mahan family. Then later in 1958 they sold the resort to Jack and Billie O'Neil. The O'Neils' son also ran the resort for awhile until they sold it to the Heston family in 1979. I remember the O'Neils as being very active in the community, but I do not remember the Hestons unless that was the name the other O'Neils held the title in. The Hestons sold it to the Perrys in 1985, and the Perrys sold it to the current owner, Butch Winslow in 1993. The Perrys kept it open as a resort, but I do not remember the Winslows ever operating it as a resort, so it must have ceased to be open as a resort around 1993.
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| From left: Marvin Looney, Jimmy Robbins and Leonard Ebrite. |
More soon...
CTM
