Joseph Hernandez bought the land in 1816 from a Roman Catholic priest named Michael Crosby. Mala Compra means "Bad Purchase"  and consisted of 724 acres during that time which was purchased for $1500. The land eventually was surveyed just two years later and in that amount of time many structures were built including a road which led right to the plantation. Nearby Hernandez purchased another plantation called Bella Vista to expand the Mala Compra land. Both plantations were heavily cultivated for the growth of crops.

Many crops were grown on the plantation one of the primaries being cotton. In 1835 the plantation was extremely built up it had a family home, cotton house, corn house, slave houses, a second house, and many other buildings. Hernandez had cattle, a cotton gin, and even horses.

The main house which only the foundation remains today roughly had 6 bedrooms, a shingled roof, one and half stories tall, a 3 foot deep underground cellar, two free standing kitchens which foundations exist today, a privy and a well which also still stands today. The house was 30' by 18' constructed of weather boarding on the outside and inside had lathes with plaster. It was quite a home for such a time period. 

When the second Seminole war broke out in 1835 Hernandez established some military supply depots at both of his plantations. Unfortunately the Seminoles burned the Mala Compra plantation in 1836. But that did not stop this plantation from thriving Hernandez rebuilt the plantation and used it as a seasonal home. 

In the 1850s the plantation produced peas, rice, corn, potatoes, and hay. By 1857 Joseph Mariano Hernandez died in Cuba. The plantation then remained abandoned for roughly 20 years. Dorotea Hernandez Walker the daughter of Joseph purchased the plantation.  Joseph Hernandez left a large debt so the heirs were forced to sell some of the Mala Compra property.  By 1900 only 40 acres of the original 900 acres of the improved land in 1850 remained. 

In the year of 1923 Ed and Lillian Johnson along with Claude Varn owned the Mala Compra Plantation. By 1926 the Johnson's transferred the legal title to the property to a corporation called Hernandez Estates.  The property was sub divided into individual lots and roads were mapped out. This was the end of a real estate boom so the project was halted in 1927.

In 1946 Lillian Johnson was a widow and received the approve to develop what would be called Jose Park in the name of Joseph Hernandez which had included the Bings Landing County Park Property. In 1962 Merdic LeRoy Bing and wife Geraldine became to the owners property and called the area the Bings Towncienda Motel and Fishing Resort. The locals called it Bings Fish Camp. Along the river was very abundant with fish. The landing and Towncienda Motel was a place for tourist and many to camp. Some even used the place a year round residence.

Bing's Fish Camp had two motel buildings, a mobile home with a porch, bath house, dog kennel, pavilion building, laundry house, office, snack bar, and two docks. Most of what was their from the camp has been removed. Geraldine eventually passed on in 1979 and at around that time the property was sold to Charles Yant and John Hesseldenz who were the caretakers of the property till 1989 when Flagler County purchased it. Charles Yant lived in the mobile home with the porch until Flagler renovated the property.

Today their are remnants from when the Seminoles burned down the plantation. More then like they part Hernandez rebuilt after the second Seminole war were in a different area since the foundations that were found were from the earlier 1800s. Mala Compra was one of the largest plantations in North East Florida.

Bings Landing went threw many changes over the years today basically its a town park with a few docks, a barge that sits along the river, a few pavilions, grill, benches, playgrounds, the historical ruins of the plantation, a canal and a few other structures. But the area is very old as at one time it was given as a Spanish Land Grant. 

Their are alot of different ghost here and I am sure in the 1800s life was very hard on the plantation. I am sure their were deaths from illness, savage Indian attacks, mistreated slaves etc. 

Like most investigations or places we research they are our own cases which means that we are the first paranormal group to cover this place. Just like we are the first paranormal group in Florida to cover many of the sugar mills and plantations along the East Coast of Florida.

Much mystery still surrounds Mala Compra why did they call this land Bad Bargain Or Purchase? It really makes me feel that they cursed the plantations demise many years before it was burned and eventually neglected.

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Rick-AngelOfThyNight