 Cooley 's main occupation was gathering , processing and shipping arrowroot , a starch made from the root of the coontie plant . <unk> was used to make bread dough , wafers and biscuits ; its resistance to spoilage made it especially favored for use on ships . Pulp remaining after processing was used as a fertilizer or for animal rations . Favorable conditions for arrowroot cultivation contributed to the presence of several hundred Indians in the area — arrowroot being a staple of their diet . The market price for the starch was between 8 ¢ ( US ) and 16 ¢ per pound ( between 17 ¢ and 35 ¢ per kg ) , and the geography of the river and the good performance of his machinery — the output was close to 450 lb ( 200 kg ) per day — brought Cooley great prosperity . His good fortune allowed him to dedicate much of his time to exploration of the area as far north as Lake Okeechobee and brought him increasing political influence . It is likely that he married Nancy Dayton , a former Indian captive , on December 2 , 1830 . Richard Fitzpatrick , by that time the owner of a successful plantation with coconut and lime trees , plantains , and sugarcane , pressed for the appointment of Cooley as Justice of the Peace in 1831 , making Cooley responsible for adjudicating disputes of persons and property , punishment of minor offenders by fines and whippings , and oversight of the activities of wreckers . Serious offenders were jailed in Key West . By that time , Cooley owned a schooner and took trips not only to take prisoners but to trade coontie , sugarcane , and tropical fruit with Cape Florida , Indian Key , Key West and Havana . 
