Descent into the past: City of Mulberry unearths cold war era bomb shelter

MULBERRY, Fla. - Two weeks ago, a bomb shelter from the Cold War era was discovered off Route 60 in Mulberry.

The new Mulberry City Museum will be relocated to a site on E Canal St., bringing with it a collection of historical artifacts. Yet, what many people didn't realize was that a significant piece of history was already here.

Timeline:

A descent into the past, delving into memories of a dark and scary time: the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s, when fears of nuclear attack were at an all-time high and people were searching for ways to survive.

"I think it's probably one of a kind," said Mayor George Hatch.

This ten-foot-deep bomb shelter was discovered off Route 60 in the city of Mulberry by a contractor about two weeks ago.  It's an old train tanker car that had its wheels removed and was modified into a bunker—with some pipes added, too. Originally, the site was operated by Mulberry Construction, a heavy-duty industrial construction company.

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What they're saying:

"The owner at that time decided to make a bomb shelter for his shop employees in the back," said Hatch, who was born and raised in Mulberry. "I had a friend whose father worked here and knew where it was, and I had him show me where it was."

After the missile crisis ended, a large boulder was placed on top of the shelter entrance, so no one would stumble upon it. But decades later, it was unearthed while the city was constructing its new municipal complex, which will be home to its new history museum, civic center, and city hall.

"It is a piece of history," said Hatch. "It's amazing to me. It brings back memories of JFK because that was a dark time for me when I was in high school."

A collision between the past and present.

"We're excited about seeing the city grow, but it's also interesting to see the old," said Hatch. "In a year, you'll see the new and how that meshes together."

What's next:

City officials say they're exploring having an expert come out and take a look at the bunker to see if it's worth anything, so it doesn't end up scrapped.

Construction of the new municipal complex is expected to take a year and a half to complete.

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