The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort (The Happy Hollisters, 9)

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A missing letter is the key to the whereabouts of Fort Freedom, the stockade that disappeared after the Revolutionary War. The fort is located somewhere within the boundaries of Shoreham and has been sought for many years, not only for it's historic value, but for the gold supposed to be hidden there by the early settlers. The Pine Lake Parkway construction job brings this unusual disappearance to public notice and, of course, wherever there is a mystery the Happy Hollisters are sure to be in the thick of it. And "thick" is just the right word, for it is hoped that the fort will be uncovered by the great bulldozers and steam shovels that are building the new Parkway. With dust and dirt flying and houses being torn down, the Hollister children search the area for some clue that will lead them to the missing letter, the site of Fort Freedom, or both. Here is a fast-moving Hollister mystery that offers exciting adventure with narrow escapes from the dangers of the construction area and the false trail laid for the children by the man whose identity remains as much of a secret as the location of Fort Freedom. ###### This is the Red Hardcover edition. The book measures 8.5x6x0.75

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Customer Reviews

Review by C. M. Walsh, 2009-04-01

All the Happy Hollister books are great beginning mystery books for children. They are even good for the young at heart who want to read something wholesome. Since they were written in another era, it reminds you of all the good things of the "good ole days". Well worth your time.

Review by Lonnie E. Holder, 2005-09-13

It is increasingly difficult to find the Happy Hollisters series of books. There were 33 books in this series, written between approximately 1953 and 1970. This particular edition is the ninth book in the series, and was written in 1955.

The Happy Hollisters are somewhat of a relic of an era gone by. The family consists of five children, Pete, Pam (Pamela), Ricky, Holly, and Sue, and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Hollister. There are also Zip, a collie, and White Nose, a cat, who has five kittens. Mr. Hollister runs a store called The Trading Post, which is similar to what was once called a general store in days gone by.

Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family. The mystery this time is regarding Fort Freedom, which has been lost since colonial times. If the fort could be found it would be important historically. In addition, people believe that settlers had hidden their gold in the fort. The town of Shoreham was offering ten thousand dollars to the owner of the property on which Fort Freedom was located, and the Shoreham Eagle, the town newspaper, was offering an additional five hundred dollar reward. Remember that when this story was written in 1955 that $10,000 was a substantial sum of money, enough to buy a nice house.

The children learn of a clue involving Mr. Hiram Winthrop, who supposedly sent a letter to the Shoreham town council detailing the location before he died. However, the letter never reached the town council. The children find the letter with a little luck and clever deduction, but before they can deliver the letter Joey Brill, the town bully, steals the letter from them.

The children are daunted for a short time, but then they continue to investigate possible locations for Fort Freedom. The children soon meet men building a new highway through town, and a family being displaced by the new highway. Someone begins to sabotage the construction equipment, blaming the damage on the family being displaced and the Hollisters! The Hollister children believe that Joey Brill is involved somehow.

The Hollisters also encounter a mysterious man who may be looking for the fort and its fabled treasure. As the story proceeds the children find connections between Joey Brill and the mysterious man. As the Hollister children encounter deadly dangers the excitement in this story builds. Will the children discover the fort? Who is the mystery man? Is Joey Brill responsible for the sabotage to the construction equipment? The reader will need to learn for themselves!

This Happy Hollister story is a little above average for the series. The lost fort seems plausible, along with the lost treasure. When a bag of gold that has been buried for decades is picked up, however, the bag would disintegrate. There are a few other discrepancies from current practice. Children are never allowed near construction sites today. Neither would anyone be permitted anywhere near a burning building, so a fight between two boys would never have allowed them to get close to a burning building. But these differences are part of what makes this series so intriguing, as children see what life was like for their parents or grandparents and what life is like today.

The Happy Hollisters series remains a reasonably good, if somewhat outdated, read for younger children, perhaps from ages 4 to 9. I suspect that by age 9 most children are entranced by more modern pursuits. Also, many children may consider families of five children to be somewhat unusual and that may take some explaining. These books may be an excellent way to introduce children to the changes that have taken place in our society over the past half century.

One last word of caution. These books are becoming very difficult to find, and thus their price varies substantially. If you are interested in reading this series you may find editions without covers that sell for less than editions with covers.

I hope you enjoy The Happy Hollisters. They are a reminder of a simpler age.