MURDER & ARSON: Mega Mansion Built North End of Gulfmead Dr Siesta Key Sits at Historic Site of Former Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel's HigelHurst Hotel.

MURDER & ARSON: Mega Mansion Built at North End of Gulfmead Dr Siesta Key Sits at Historic Site of Former Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel's HigelHurst Hotel, Feb 25, 2026, at 3332 Gulfmead Dr Siesta Key Fl. Mr Higel was murdered and the Hotel subject of arson and was burnt to the ground. Three time former Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel had built his Higelhurst Hotel in 1915 at the very north tip of Gulfmead Dr on Siesta Key Fl, the Higelhurst Hotel faced Big Pass and Lido Beach, just like the new house. The Higelhurst Hotel on the North tip of Siesta Key was at the entrance to Big Pass on Sarasota Bay with an unobstructed view of the Gulf of Mexico and directly across from Lido Beach. The Higelhurst Hotel was burned down (arson) on Friday March 30th, 1917, the north bridge to the island was not yet open.

THIS STORY IS A MOVIE SCRIPT WAITING TO BE WRITTEN; Story of Unsolved Murder of Harry Higel by Rube Allyn and the arson of the Higelhurst Hotel by Rube Allyn all on Siesta Key reads like a script for an action/drama movie. It would be a period piece, set from 1913 to 1921 in Sarasota and South West Fl. The story includes Dirty Politics, Dueling Mayors, Failed Newspaper in Sarasota, Prohibition, WWI, Unsavory Private Investigators in St Pete, Murder on Siesta Key and a Bradenton Fl Kangaroo Court that set there buddy Rube Allyn free. Finally in 2020 a rusted Colt .32 caliber pistol (era 1913) was found buried in the muck of Bayou Louise that most likely was used to pistol-whip Harry Higel and the cause of his death on Friday morn Jan 7th, 1921 at the corner of Siesta Dr and Higel Ave Siesta Key Fl, the case remains unsolved.

The Higelhurst Hotel a large two story structure with wrap around porch located at the far north end of Gulfmead Dr and was near the site where former Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel was murdered early on Friday morn Jan 7th, 1921, at the corner of Siesta Dr and Higel Ave Siesta Key Fl, the case remains unsolved. Nefarious Siesta Key neighbor Rube Allyn, who also lived at far north end of Gulfmead Dr, is believed to be the person who torched the Higelhurst Hotel early on Friday morn March 30th, 1917 and murdered Harry Higel on Friday morn Jan 7th, 1921, I have no doubt of these facts. The house that was constructed at the north end of Gulfmead Dr Siesta Key Fl appears to be at least a massive 22,000 square feet structure with impressive views of the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, the City of Sarasota, Bird Key, and Lido Key.

photo credit Higelhurst Hotel Manatee County Historical Society. 

Manatee County Map Shows Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel's Higelhurst Hotel at far north end of Siesta Key near Fishery Point. The large two story white Higelhurst Hotel was at the very north end of what is now Gulfmead Dr on Siesta Key Fl. A huge white mega mansion was built at the exact same spot in 2022. On the map seen above, SARASOTA BAY in 1916 later became ROBERTS BAY. SARASOTA KEY on the map to the far left in 1916 later became LIDO KEY. Arson suspect and Harry Higel murder suspect Rube Allyn also lived at the very north end of Gulfmead Dr next to the HigelHurst hotel. The map of Siesta Key as of 1916 shows the Higelhurst Hotel towards the far north end of Gulfmead Dr Siesta Key Fl. 

In 1915 Harry Higel applied for the Siesta Post Office, Margaret O'Berry was appointed postmistress and Higel established the actual post office inside the Higelhurst Hotel on North Siesta Key Fl. In the late 1890's and early 1900's it was not uncommon for a rural post office to be located inside a Hotel or secure building. Between 1911 and 1913, Bayou Hansen, Bayou Nettie, and Bayou Louise were dredged and canals were created. In 1912, Harry Higel's Gulf Bay Land Company re-platted “Siesta Key on the Gulf,” opened Hanson Bayou to Big Pass, and began building roads, sidewalks, and bungalows.

Back story on Higelhurst Hotel arson was Harry Higel's link to Germany and even the Hotel name 'Hurst' links to a region in Germany. Higelhurst Hotel was torched on March 30th, 1917 by Rube Allyn, 3 days later On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany which was granted, Rube Allyn was ecstatic. Then 4 days later the United States declared war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917, nearly three years after World War I started. Rube Allyn was a war hawk and hated Germans. Rube wanted to join the Army when he was in his 50's to go and kill Germans in 1917.

According to an article in the Tampa Tribune on March 30 1017, the HigelHurst Hotel was a two story building and had an old fashioned Virginia portico extending all along the West front of the building facing Big Pass and what is now Lido beach. Much like how the new "Mega Mansion" built on the old hotel grounds is facing, what goes around comes around. HigelHurst Hotel on north end of Siesta Key Fl was burned down on March 30th, 1917, Rube Allyn was a person of interest in the apparent arson of the Hotel. 

 

Rube Allyn hated his Siesta Key neighbor Harry Higel and Higel's German heritage. Anti-German sentiment in America was strong in 1917, being anti-German became a way of showing patriotism for the American war effort. 3 days after the Higelhurst Hotel was torched on March 30th 1917 President Wilson declared war against Germany and America entered WWI. President Woodrow Wilson's request to Congress for a declaration of war On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to send U.S. troops into battle against Germany in World War I. "Hotel Higelhurst’s proximity to Rube Allyn’s property have led some to believe he was responsible for the devastating fire, as well as Harry Higel’s murder", Jeff LaHurd said, he is a local historian who oversees the Sarasota County History Center.

The Higelhurst Hotel was on the beach at the entrance to Big Pass and 50 yards from the water. The Higelhurst Hotel and dock were burned down on Friday morn March 30th 1917, Rube Allyn was a person of interest in the arson of the Higelhurst Hotel that stood at the entrance of Big Pass and facing Sarasota Bay. The Hotel caretaker Mrs Mueller left the Higelhurst Hotel on Thursday afternoon March 29th 1917 for Sarasota where she spent the evening with friends. The Higelhurst Hotel which was located at the very north end of Siesta Key, was empty and vacant when torched on March 30th 1917, Rube Allyn lived next door on Gulmead Dr and hated Harry Higel who lived directly across Bayou Louise on the north end of Higel Ave.

Newspaper articles about the Higelhurst Hotel on fire March 30th, 1917 told of how Harry Higel was standing on the Bayfront where Marina Jacks is now and tears where running down his face as he watched his magnificent Higelhurst Hotel at the very north end of Siesta Key burn to the ground. A month later in April 1917, the north bridge to the key was completed, which may have allowed enough time for the fire department to save the building. Rube Allyn was there on the north end of Siesta Key in the early morn of Friday March 30th 1917 when the Higelhurst hotel was torched. Rube Allyn was also the one and only suspect in the brutal pistol whipping of Harry Higel on the north end of Siesta Key on Friday morn January 7th, 1921 that led to Mr Higel's death. Rube Allyn was arrested but a "kangaroo Grand Jury" made up of Rube's newspaper pals and drinking buddies, failed to indict on March 10th, 1021.

Harry Higel's Hotel HigelHurst on Siesta Key opened its doors on March 9, 1915, with more than 200 people attending the grand opening reception. Since the bridge to the key was not finished, ferry boats provided transportation to the hotel about 3 miles in a direct line from the Sarasota wharf, (a man-made structure on Sarasota Bay which provided an area for ships to safely dock), which later became Marian Jacks. The Hotel was burned down on Friday morn March 30th 1917, Rube Allyn was a person of interest in the arson. The caretaker Mrs Mueller left the Hotel on Thursday afternoon March 29th 1917 for Sarasota where she spent the evening with friends. 

The Hotel was empty and vacant, Rube Allyn lived nearby and hated Harry Higel. Rube was there on Siesta Key in the early morn of Friday March 30th 1917 when the hotel was torched. The Higelhurst Hotel on N Siesta Key was overlooking Big Pass with an unobstructed view of the Gulf of Mexico directly across from Lido Beach. The Higelhurst Hotel was on the beach less than 50 yards to the Big Pass waters. The very north end of Bayou Louise was behind the Higelhurst Hotel.

"The Smoking Gun Buried on Siesta Key", Colt Revolver Verified by Sheriff as Possible Link to Murder of Sarasota Mayor Harry Higel. As in other kinds of pistol-whipping, the scalp wounds may be associated with fractures of the skull and even with brain contusions. Twelve Months ago on November 26th, 2019 I turned into the Sarasota County Sheriff Department a loaded gun that appears to have been buried for decades on Siesta Key Fl. I have not reveled the results of the Sheriff Departments investigation concerning the old, rusted, and corroded parts of an antique small frame Colt Police positive revolver (over 100 years old) on Siesta Key buried near a salt water canal off of Higel Ave sometime in 1921, until today. On 3/24/2020 The Sarasota County Sheriff report further states by writer: "I retrieved the weapon from Property and inspected it's parts. Upon review and through my own independent research, I believe, as reported by Warner, these parts are to a Colt revolver produced in the early 1900's".

The Herald Tribune Newspaper in Sarasota did an article about the Higel murder, "100 years later, the murder of popular Sarasota mayor Harry Higel remains unsolved", by Billy Cox, Jan 7th, 2021. The Herald Tribune pointed out that "on March 9, 1921, Rube Allyn was released after a grand jury deliberated for 10 minutes. Sarasota private investigator Bill Warner claims on his website the jury was filled with Allyn’s “newspaper pals and drinking buddies.” Bill Warner says Higel’s injuries are consistent with a pistol-whipping; in fact, he says rusted fragments of a .32 caliber pocket Colt revolver – manufactured between 1907 and 1922 – were recovered near a Givens Street canal in November 2019. He says the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the make and the approximate time range of its manufacture. “You’d never throw away a revolver like that with six live bullets in it unless you’d committed a crime,” Bill Warner says. Like I said this story looks like a script for a block buster movie. see https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2021/01/07/sarasota-mayor-harry-higels-murder-remains-unsolved-100-years-later/6564394002/

 photo credit screenshot Pach Bros 841 Broadway New York NY at this location 1885-1890

RUBE ALLYN WANTED TO BE FAMOUS; Rube Allyn grew up working as a type setter for the small newspaper in Mt Forest Canada but the draw of the big cities of Philadelphia and New York City was too much for Rube, so off he went in 1889 when he was in his 20's. Rube took up drama classes and public speaking, he had professional photos taken at Pach Bros 841 Broadway New York NY, SEE ABOVE, and gave them out to talent agents, Rube wanted to be a star. Ironically the Pach Brothers was a family-run photography studio by German-born brothers Gustavus and Gotthelf Pach, Rube hated Germans. Rube Allyn wanted to be on the stage and in movies, (The Scarlet Letter 1913) he wanted to be famous, he wanted to be a star. Rube Allyn devolved a stage act in New York and hit the road with his long suffering wife Rose and their son, Rube Jr in tow. Rube Allyn loved to see his name in the papers with a review of his stage act. One of the first reviews of Rube Allyn's stage act, when he was 26, was in the Manitoba Free Press Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on March 15 1892. Rube Allyn editor and publisher at the Sarasota Sun from 1913 to 1916.

Copyright Protection: Bill Warner Investigations Sarasota Fl Original Articles Published on This Website Using Proprietary Research.