Godfather of the Everglades is an independent project devoted to the history, people, airboats, wildlife and legends of the Florida Everglades. It is built in South Florida by Arturo De Jesus Morejon.
Why this exists
The Everglades has an extraordinary story and a scattered record. Official histories cover the park and the policy. Family photographs, airboat builders’ catalogs, fish-camp memories and local legends are disappearing. This site gathers both, in one place, told well.
Editorial standards
- Research first. We prefer primary and authoritative sources: the National Park Service, the Florida Department of State and Florida Memory, the Library of Congress, the South Florida Water Management District, USGS, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, universities, museums and original newspapers.
- Cite everything. Factual pages end with their sources.
- Explain disagreements. When sources conflict, we say so instead of choosing the better story.
- Label every story. Documented history, oral history, local legend, folklore or unverified — see Legends of the Glades.
- Respect rights. We publish images and recordings that are public domain, licensed, donated with permission or our own, and we credit them.
- Correct openly. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are noted on the page.
About the name
“Godfather of the Everglades” is the name of this project — a storyteller’s title for the keeper of the archive. It is not a claim about any historical person, and this site has no connection to any film or its owners.