Today in Key West History
72 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsKey West and the surrounding Florida Keys are rich in history dating back to the Spanish Conquistadors. Each day holds a new opportunity to learn about the significant historical events that happened in Key West and the Florida Keys. These bite sized podcasts are a great way to brush up on your historical facts about this beautiful coral cay archipelago paradise that we call home!
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Episodes
Key West Murder Lands Man on Death Row - March 28, 1983
March 28, 2019 18:17 - 6 minutes - 6.1 MBBobby Marion Francis had a criminal past and was involved in the drug trade in Key West in the mid 1970's. One deal went wrong and he ended up taking revenge on Titus R. Walters, who was working as a drug informant for the sheriff's office. The story is gruesome and brutal. But, it's part of Key West History. You may also remember Bobby Marion Francis from another crime story in Key West. He was involved in a deal with Bum Farto, and you can hear that story here. Today in Key West Histor...
A Key West Son Becomes a Big Player in Florida Politics - March 26, 1851
March 25, 2019 17:20 - 7 minutes - 7.02 MBStephen Russell Mallory was an immigrant to Key West from the island of Trinidad. He grew up in Key West and learned the practice of law from local judges. His career was ascendant and he caught the attention of the President and received a position of Presidential appointment which was the springboard for many more important positions. Stephen Mallory played a pivotal role in the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was eventually charged with treason and sought a Presidential Pardon to ...
Robber Barrons Buying Up Land in the Florida Keys - March 23, 1941
March 23, 2019 23:14 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBEdward Ball was the estate manager for Alfred I. duPont, who had a reputation for pinching pennies and treating every transaction as if it was a business deal. He was a great financial manager, with questionable political allies. He used the power of his position to wield as much power over politics as he could. He never wanted to get his hands dirty himself, so he bought politicians to do it for him. It was today, March 23, 1941 that Ed Ball bought over 600 acres of land in Matecumbe, Lit...
Mark Twain Visits Key West While Sailing to Cuba - March 22, 1902
March 23, 2019 15:19 - 3 minutes - 2.92 MBSamuel Clemens spent lots of time on H.H. Rogers new steam yacht, Kanawha. At the time, the Kanawha was one of the largest privately owned (and fastest) steam yachts. In the summer of 1902, Clemens, Rogers, Thomas B. Reed and some other friends boarded Kanawha and set sail on a cruise around the Caribbean. Along the way, the stopped in Key West. And that's what happened Today in Key West History. Today in Key West History is brought to you by 43 Keys Media. You can find us at http://4...
Forget Mar-a-Lago, The Real Winter White House is in Key West - March 19, 1949
March 19, 2019 17:26 - 7 minutes - 7.31 MBWhat started out as military quarters has grown into a pivotal building in our country's history over the last 50+ years. It could be considered the original Winter White House, but we call it the Truman Little White House due to the fact that President Harry S. Truman truly fell in love with Key West while he was here. He even said the city was his second favorite city in the world - second only to his hometown. The Little White House has hosted dignitaries from many countries, as well ...
Leprosy Outbreak in Key West After the Turn of the Century - March 18, 1909
March 18, 2019 21:35 - 4 minutes - 4.31 MBFrom ancient writings, we have always known that Leprosy had a stigma that many other diseases never have. Highly contagious and rife with gross symptoms that could be hard for the non-afflicted to stomach, those with leprosy have always been isolated, more so than treated. Leper colonies were created to help contain the disease and put it out of the public view. In a 1955 article called “Leprosy in the United States”, Dr. L.F. Badger documented the pockets of Leprosy within the United Sta...
The Key West Agreement is Hammered Out and Taken to Washington DC
March 15, 2019 15:42 - 4 minutes - 4.73 MBThe Key West Agreement is the colloquial name for the policy paper Function of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff drafted by James V. Forrestal, the first United States Secretary of Defense. Its most prominent feature was an outline for the division of air assets between the Army, Navy, and the newly created Air Force which, with modifications, continues to provide the basis for the division of these assets in the U.S. military today. The basic outline for the document was agre...
Baseball Greats Come to the Florida Keys to Become Great Fishermen
March 14, 2019 19:05 - 4 minutes - 4.49 MBWith a modest two-story hotel and various small cottages, Long Key Fishing Camp offered a dramatic departure from the usual opulence of Henry Flagler's hotels. Palatial structures with manicured grounds, extravagant recreational facilities, and world-class amenities were the norm at Flagler's other hotels that dotted the east coast of Florida--but not at Long Key, the last resort to open during his lifetime. Prospective visitors were frankly warned not to expect the same level of comfort pro...
Famous Author Hospitalized in Key West - March 11, 1909
March 11, 2019 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.1 MBThe Louise Maloney Hospital was started out of sheer necessity. As the surgeon for Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway, Dr. John Maloney realized the need for a space to perform surgeries and operations after an accident on the railway construction site up the Keys caused multiple casualties. He then rented the house next to his pharmacy in Key West and turned it into just such a facility. He named it after his wife, Louise. In its first 4 years of existence, it served over 600 patients. ...
Where is Bum Farto? - Key West History, March 4, 1976
March 05, 2019 03:16 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBKey West Fire Chief Joseph "Bum" Farto fell into the drug culture in Key West at a time when drugs were as mainstream in Key West as Key Lime Pie. He was so comfortable dealing drugs, that he actually made deals on the bench out in front of the Fire Station on Kennedy Ave. It was this lack of caution that led to his downfall. Operation Conch came along and took down more than 19 accused drug dealers in Key West. It also took down Bum Farto. Soon Farto would be tried and convicted of multip...
Growing Population Created A Charcoal and Stove Wood Industry in the Florida Keys - Feb. 25, 1893
February 25, 2019 23:25 - 6 minutes - 7.11 MBAs the population of Key West grew in the late 1800's, the island soon ran out of stove wood for cooking. This shortage created a new industry of charcoal makers and wood cutters. Most of the people who worked in this industry were black male immigrants from the Bahamas. The men spread out to more unpopulated areas of the Keys and labored in the dense, mosquito infested woods of nearby uninhabited islands. At one point, the only inhabitant of Big Pine Key was a lone wood cutter. They w...
The SS Marine Sulpher Queen Sinks Sparking Bermuda Triangle Conspiracy Theories - Feb. 21, 1963
February 21, 2019 19:30 - 8 minutes - 7.61 MBA T2 tanker carrying molten sulphur went missing on Feb. 2, 1963. The tanker, SS Marine Sulphur Queen had so many maintenance issues and design flaws that it almost seems it was doomed from the start. The tanker last radioed its position as it crossed the Florida Straits in 16 ft. nearly following seas. The ship had a crew of 39 on board and had a history of fires and other repair issues. What happened to the vessel, we don't exactly know. We just know that the Coast Guard searched for ...
Mr. Key West (David Wolkowsky) Begins Construction of the Pier House Motel in Key West - Feb. 20, 1967
February 20, 2019 19:17 - 6 minutes - 5.84 MBDavid Wolkowsky became Mr. Key West. So much of the island charm and uniqueness has been preserved because of the actions of developer David Wolkowsky. Born in Key West, he later moved to Miami when times got tough in the Keys. He returned to Key West when his father died and immediately began turn this island village into a respectable tourist destination. So many buildings around town still bear the mark of his influence, and his forethought has preserved Key West from becoming overtake...
A Repulsive Crime and a Blight on Key West History - Feb. 18, 1924
February 18, 2019 19:23 - 5 minutes - 5.53 MBBEFORE WORLD WAR II, the Ku Klux Klan was an important social and political force in Key West. And Manuel Cabeza ran afoul of that force. A native Conch and World War I veteran who was said to fear no one, Cabeza was deeply in love with a black woman, a well-known madam with whom he lived. In those days a white man might have a black mistress, but he was supposed to keep it strictly a backstreet affair. Manuel lived quite openly with his lover and so, a week before Christmas, 1921, the K...
Key West History - Feb. 14, 1884 - Cigar Tycoon and Former Mayor Dies
February 14, 2019 23:06 - 3 minutes - 4.53 MBEdwin Oliver Gwynn Sr. was born on October 9, 1820 in New Providence, Bahamas. He was an auctioneer for a tobacco company that made cigars. In 1839, EO Gwynn married Anne Pinder, with whom he had one child, in Nassau. In April of 1851, Anne was granted a divorce from EO in Key West, on the basis of desertion. In 1855, Gwynn married Mary Elizabeth Pinder in the Bahamas. By 1860, EO Gwynn had come to Key West - drawn by the burgeoning cigar industry. In 1864, Gwynn was elected as Mayor...
Key West History - Feb. 12, 1964 - The Pelican Path was Completed
February 12, 2019 20:35 - 4 minutes - 4.65 MBAlthough it can be kind of expensive to visit Key West, if you know where to look, you can still find some free activities that will allow you to have a peek “behind the curtain” so to speak and glimpse how the locals live. One such glimpse takes you through the Key West of yester year. Key West is a very historical city, having played a pivotal role in many wars over the years, and also with its proximity to Cuba, it has been the stopping point for many dignitaries and Presidents as ...
Key West History - Feb. 11, 1947 - Flights Between Key West and Havana Were Permitted by Harry S. Truman
February 11, 2019 16:23 - 5 minutes - 5.41 MBDuring the economic boom in Cuba in the 1940's and 1950's, at least 4 airlines were established. With easy access to surplus US Air Force equipment, planes began to fly with former Air Force planes. These Cuban airlines were not all on the up and up, and their access to a joint civilian/military base in Colombia, made it particularly convenient as the source of smuggling contraband. Listen and learn all about the direct flights that were established between Key West and Havana. Thi...
Key West History - Feb. 8, 1964 - The Hemingway House was Dedicated as a Museum
February 09, 2019 02:01 - 6 minutes - 6.55 MBThe saga of how Ernest and Pauline Hemingway landed in Key West is interesting in its own right. It's even more interesting when you find out how he ended up with an amazing house that is iconic as well. Today's episode gives you all the details of both! It was today, Feb. 8, 1964 that the Hemingway House was dedicated and opened as a Museum. http://43keys.com
Key West History - Feb. 7, 1975 - The Oldest House on Duval St. Opens as a Museum
February 07, 2019 23:50 - 3 minutes - 3.31 MBThe oldest house on Duval St. was built in 1829. This house stayed in the same family for over 140 years. Today, it serves as a lesson to all of us about how far we've come. By looking back into this time capsule, we can see what the Key West of old was like. We can have an appreciation for how difficult life must have been at this remote outpost, far away from family and friends. Those previous generations stuck it out and created a better community that still impacts us today. Learn ...
Key West history - Feb. 6, 1981 - Grace Jones Who Fought for Access to Schools for Minority Children Died
February 06, 2019 20:27 - 4 minutes - 5.33 MBGrace Jones was a Bahamian immigrant who lived in Marathon. He husband worked off shore in the sponge industry. She came to the Keys in 1912 and went on to raise her children here in the Keys. During this time, the only schools were in Key West. So, it didn't matter where you lived, you had to send your children over an hour each way, just to provide them with an education. It didn't seem right that they couldn't be educated in their own community. Grace talked to everyone she could abo...
Key West History - Feb. 5, 1986 - The Treasure Salvors is Declared the Sole Owner of The Atocha
February 06, 2019 03:42 - 7 minutes - 6.94 MBThe Atocha has proved to be the motherlode for Mel Fisher's Treasure Hunters. Shipwrecked in 1622, it was loaded down with gold, copper, silver and emeralds. The Spanish crown tried for years to find it, and never succeeded. Mel Fisher and team tried for 16 years to find it - and finally had success! Then the court battle began - the State of Florida wanted to claim a large part of the treasure. It was today, Feb. 5, 1986, that U.S. District Judge William O. Mehrtens ruled the wreckage ...
Key West History - Feb. 1, 1963 - Mallory Square Reopened After a Renovation
February 02, 2019 03:18 - 6 minutes - 5.89 MBMallory Square has long been a favorite Key West spot for viewing sunset. It's beloved by both tourists and locals. What started out as a gathering for hippies doing illegal activities, and the City trying to stop it, turned into a cultural preservation event. The daily sunset celebration at Mallory Square has turned into a festival with food vendors, performers, clowns, acrobats, and artisans. It's the only festival in the Keys where the artists who are selling their wares are actually re...
Key West History - Jan. 31, 1953 - The Tiniest Track in America Opens in Key West
February 01, 2019 01:50 - 3 minutes - 3.65 MBThe Key West Greyhound Track was once billed as the Tiniest Track in America, this oval was located amid auto graveyards and cheap trailer parks in the poorest section of America’s most southeastern town. [this was actually on Stock Island] It was the literally the last stop on the road for young pups or aging greyhounds and the gullible tourists who bet them. About 100 people showed up to wager each night, maybe 200 on dime-a-beer Fridays. There were ample opportunities to cheat, and stori...
Key West History - Jan. 30, 1911 - The Race for the First Flight from Key West to Cuba
January 31, 2019 00:45 - 9 minutes - 9.27 MBSoon after we entered the aviation age, the race was on to travel further and faster with aircraft. It took awhile for "aeronauts" to begin to test their skills at crossing bodies of water. Soon, the English Channel was crossed for the first time. This exploration age set off the race to see who could get from Key West to Cuba successfully and complete the longest flight over a body of water. Canadian James McCurdy wanted to be the first, and he got sponsors. Meanwhile, 2 Cubans were al...
Key West History - Jan 29, 1961 - Jimmy Hoffa Loves Key West Weather
January 29, 2019 17:47 - 3 minutes - 3.3 MBDuring his lifetime, Jimmy Hoffa had a long term relationship with the Florida Keys. He was known to come to Marathon for fishing excursions. He frequented local hotels and restaurants. He even pulled off a deal for the Teamsters to purchase Casa Marina Hotel at some point. He was a larger than life character and loved by all, unless he double crossed you and then you hated him. It was today, Jan. 29, 1961 that Jimmy Hoffa declared, "Key West has the most pleasant climate in the United S...
Key West History - Jan 28, 1979 - Tennessee Williams and Gay Bashing in Key West
January 28, 2019 21:13 - 8 minutes - 7.9 MBJanuary 28, 1979: Famous writer and Key West resident Tennessee Williams and his friend, Datson Rader, were assaulted on Duval Street. Both men were punched, but neither needed medical attention.
Key West History - Jan. 27, 1924 - Monster Kingfish Was Recorded at the Curry Fish Market Wharf
January 27, 2019 17:51 - 2 minutes - 2.34 MBIt didn't take long for a crowd to gather as Captain Demerritt pulled into port with a sizable catch. While out on troll offshore, Demerritt and his son, William had simultaneously caught a monster Kingfish weighting 67 pounds and a Sailfish weighing about 60 pounds. The Kingfish was only a few pounds shy of the record of the largest Kingfish ever caught in Florida since records have been kept. Crowds gathered to see the giant fish and hear the story of the catch. It was today, Jan...
Key Largo History - Jan. 26, 1929 - Herbert Hoover Fishes for Sailfish at the Key Largo Angler's Club
January 27, 2019 02:30 - 3 minutes - 3.84 MBThe Florida Keys have long been a favorite destination for fishing, frequented by US Presidents, Heads of State and other politicians. Herbert Hoover was no exception to this. For almost 40 years, he made regular fishing excursions with his favorite guide, Calvin Albury of the Key Largo Angler's Club. Hoover never tired of fishing in the ocean and came as often as he could. Hoover's fishing exploits spanned an 80 year period, which basically meant he fished from the time he was big enough ...
Key West History - Jan. 25, 1988 - Local Resident Jimmy Buffet Makes a Contribution to the City
January 26, 2019 02:28 - 5 minutes - 4.86 MBIn the late 1960s, Jimmy Buffett was living in Nashville and trying to start a career as a folk country musician. He cut two albums, but only 1970s down to earth, which didn't actually do very well was released his record company at the time claim to have lost the Masters to the second album. So Jimmy Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker, who you might know from Mr. Bo J. angles, headed down to Key West in 1971. It was right after Jimmy's marriage to his high school sweetheart had broken up, they...
Key West History - Jan. 24, 1948 - World Class Burlesque Comes to Key West
January 25, 2019 01:54 - 2 minutes - 3.83 MBSally Rand was an internationally acclaimed feather dancer. She would tease audiences with 2 large ostrich feathers. She spent time as a vaudeville dancer too. Back in the day, she was highly sought after and performed in numerous theater productions. She even had her own show at one point called Sally Rand Nude Ranch. She had a couple of run-ins with the law over her risque dancing! It was today, January 24, 1948 that Sally Rand, internationally known fan dancer, appeared at the dance a...
Key West History - Jan. 23, 1896 - Florida's Wealthiest Man Dies
January 23, 2019 23:52 - 3 minutes - 4.56 MBBorn in Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas on Sept. 21, 1821, William Curry had always heard the tales of the fortunes that could be made in a nearby city call Key West. At the age of 15, Curry came to the island of Key West as a penniless immigrant, with nothing more than outsized ambition going for him. He arrived in 1837, when Key West was the wealthiest city in the state, and had the most per capita wealth of any city in the country. At that time the main industry was wrecking. Curry’s wor...
Key West History - Jan. 22, 1926 - The First Luxury Hotel Opens in Key West
January 22, 2019 22:00 - 3 minutes - 3.59 MBDespite having decades in the late 1800's where Key West had the highest amount of wealth per-capita, as well as being the largest city in Florida, it wasn't until 1926 that Key West experienced its first taste of luxury. Having confirmed its status as a bonafide city by re-inventing itself after the collapse of the wrecking industry, Key West continued to draw an elite class into its vortex. Politicians, Heads of State, writers and more celebrities than you could imagine were making Key W...
Key West History - Jan. 21, 1880 - Ulysses S. Grant Visits Key West
January 21, 2019 23:40 - 8 minutes - 8.46 MBIf I described a leader as a failed business man - multiple times, someone who struggled with alcohol, a military man who couldn't stand the uniforms, and a novice politician, you'd probably think I was describing a failed leader who quickly fell off the pages of history. However, this description fits one of the most influential men in US history in the 19th century! With many accomplishments and a victory in the Civil War, we could only be talking about Ulysses S. Grant! Learn some l...
Key West History - Jan 18, 1912 - The Filming of Flagler's Railroad Journey
January 19, 2019 02:39 - 3 minutes - 3.81 MBThe dream of one man changed the isolation of the Florida Keys for all time. Henry Flagler was a native New Yorker and he was born in 1830. He only went to school up until the eighth grade. But later on, he went on to establish the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller - that was in 1870 and he became very wealthy. After that, in 1885, he purchased a shoreline railroad between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and then he began expanding it toward Miami. Miami was at that time only a...
Key West History - Jan 17, 1928 - Calvin Coolidge and His Wife Arrived in Key West
January 18, 2019 09:40 - 6 minutes - 5.54 MBWhen President Donald Trump visited Key West late last year, it was the first time in nearly 55 years for a sitting US president to visit Key West. Prior to that, the last time was when John F. Kennedy stopped by to inspect the defenses of Key West and provide some positive publicity for South Florida. And that was in November of 1962, following the Cuban Missile Crisis. Key West's location and climate has a long history of drawing in the top executives, not just from companies but also fr...
Key West History - Jan. 15, 1971 - Finally a Conviction in the Murder of a Charter Boat Captain and His Son
January 16, 2019 01:13 - 4 minutes - 4.8 MBRoger Foster, the 17 year old admitted killer of the charter boat, Dream Girls, two man crew was brought to us by a Coast Guard vessel and was immediately whisked away from the docks by FBI agents and Key West Police officers. The husky youth, wearing a t-shirt and pants stained with blood, was held for 15 minutes aboard the Coast Guard Cutter after its arrival, and then hurried to waiting automobile. Both his hands were bandaged and he appeared dazed and he was led ashore as an FBI agent ...
Key West History - Jan. 12, 1952 - The Pink Shrimp "Gold Rush" in Key West
January 14, 2019 22:31 - 4 minutes - 4.54 MBIn late 1949, 100 years after the peak of the California Gold Rush, Pink Gold was discovered off the Florida Keys near Dry Tortugus. The “gold” was a grooved variety of shrimp called “pink” shrimp in the industry – scientifically Panaeus duorarum. In early 1950, the first shrimpers arrived in Key West looking to off load and process their treasures. On February 11, 1950, The New York Times likened the Pink Gold Rush to that of the Klondike gold strike in the late 1890’s. More than 100 vess...
Key West History - Jan. 11, 1926 - There's a Menace Terrorizing the City
January 12, 2019 07:20 - 3 minutes - 2.95 MBThere's a menace going on on the streets of Key West, as documented by the historic archive of the Key West citizen. And I quote, "Fully realizing that it is treading on sacred ground to interfere with the pleasures and pastimes of the little folks, The Citizen desires to call attention to the numerous complaints now made about boys and girls on roller skates monopolizing the sidewalks. In certain portions of the city, roller skating on sidewalks is a dangerous pastime dangerous for the chil...
January 10, 1861 - Key West Refuses to Secede from the Union
January 11, 2019 02:21 - 4 minutes - 4.89 MBKey West was an awkward place to live when the Civil War broke out. The heavy military presence on the island meant that much of the island supported Union efforts, and with the critical Naval base fortified against capturing from the Confederacy, the island became even more firmly entrenched as a critical port for the Union during the Civil War. The military had no plans to give up control of Fort Taylor or Fort Jackson, and military battalions were sent in to make sure those bases wer...
January 9, 1827 - Construction Starts on the First Sand Key Lighthouse
January 10, 2019 02:54 - 9 minutes - 9.2 MBSand key is situated next to a channel that leads to Key West. It's located roughly eight miles to the north west of Key West. In normal conditions, a significant amount of sand accumulates on the submerged reefs at Sand Key and it actually creates a small island. Soon after the United States took possession of Florida in 1821, a wooden daymark was placed on the island to warn mariners of this navigational hazard. Lighthouses to mark Florida's reef had just recently been completed at Cape ...
January 8, 1828 - Key West Is Incorporated as a City
January 09, 2019 06:30 - 6 minutes - 6.2 MBKey West, like the other Florida Keys, began as a coral forest under the sea water. Marine life was its only population as the polar ice caps reformed and the sea level dropped. Terrestrial plant and animal life found its way. Soil was formed by decaying organic matter and storm actions. For millenniums the ocean continued to drop and the ocean currents, wind currents, birds and other things began to propagate the islands. Eventually, human life forms also found their way. These trillions of...
Key West History: December 26, 1923 - Reward Offered for Vandals of Yards in Key West
December 26, 2018 08:52 - 4 minutes - 3.97 MBThe Key West Citizen has received so many complaints recently about the willful destruction of plants and flowers in yards in the city, that it has decided to reward $25 for the arrest and conviction of anybody for committing such vandalism. A woman resident who used many hours of her time and beautifying her yard had so many of her plants broken or torn up a few days ago, she was mortified to tears when she viewed the destruction. Whoever broke the plants or pulled them up was prompted to d...
Key West History: Dec. 24, 1923 - Key West Declared a Port of Real Consequence
December 25, 2018 10:17 - 5 minutes - 5.08 MBOn December the 24th, 1923, this quote appeared in the Tampa Tribune. "Tampa is the nearest port of any real consequence in the United States to the Panama Canal." Soon after, there was a rebuttal printed in the Key West Citizen. "Either the tribune is ignorant of the fact that Key West is nearer to the Panama Canal than Tampa or is deliberately misrepresenting the fact or does not consider Key West a part of any real consequence. Let us consider those suppositions in order. If the tribune i...
Key West History: Josè Marti Arrived for His First Visit to Key West
December 24, 2018 09:10 - 5 minutes - 5.01 MBJosé Martí was born in Havana to Spanish immigrants in 1853. From a young age, he dedicated himself to the Cuban struggle for independence. During his life he visited Tampa 20 times, a place with strong ties to Cuba where he consolidated drive and advocacy to bring change to Cuba. Martí attended university in Spain and studied law and philosophy. He published his first newspaper, La Patria Libre (The Free Fatherland), in 1869 and later El presidio político en Cuba (The Political Prison in ...
Key West History: Dec. 21, 1975 - Key West Aloe Opened It's New Store and Factory
December 22, 2018 03:38 - 4 minutes - 4.29 MBWhile vacationing in Key West in the 1960’s with his partner, Joe Lizska, Frank Romano made the terrible mistake of falling asleep on the beach. It’s a mistake many tourists to Key West make, not realizing how much closer Key West is to the equator than the mainland, and how much faster you get sunburned at this latitude. By the time Frank woke up, he could barely move without terrible pain. His entire chest was completely burned and he could barely move, let alone put on a shirt. Another...
Key West History: Dec. 20, 1996 - Key West's Grand Dame and Matriarch Dies
December 21, 2018 03:05 - 4 minutes - 4.21 MBBy the early 1970s, when the fabrics and designs of Lilly Pulitzer were retail and media darlings, Tony Falcone started coming to Key West with his partner, Bill Conkle. Eventually, they decided to open up a store. It was called Fast Buck Freddie's and it was on Key West's main drag, Duval street. They opened at a time when many other stores on Duval Street were closing. They tapped into the new chic money that was just starting to discover Key West, with it's fabulous old houses built in it...
Today in Key West History - Dec. 18, 1955 - The Ferry from Key West to Havana Completed Testing
December 18, 2018 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.5 MBNow, more than 50 years after Fidel Castro's takeover of Cuba it remains a mysterious forbidden and a foreign place. Few of us can picture a time when Cuba was a friendly neighbor of the United States, and a place for a quick weekend getaway. When Flagler's train reached Key West in 1912, some of the trains were loaded onto 300 foot long barges to continue on to Havana for gambling and exotic rum drinks, especially after Prohibition too hold in 1920. Even up through the late 50's though, a c...
December 17, 1899 - More than a Year After The Sinking of the Maine, Bodies of Victims Were Recovered By the Military
December 18, 2018 09:38 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MBThe night seemed like any other. It was February 15th and the crew of the battleship Maine had been dispatched to Havana. In the evening, they were riding quietly at anchor in the Havana Harbor, everyone going about their duties and minding their own business, when suddenly at 9:40pm out of nowhere an explosion happened and tore out the bottom of the ship and sank the entire ship, killing 260 of nearly 400 men on board. By the time the sun rose the next morning, only the twisted parts of t...
December 15 - The Underwater Cable System Connection Key West to Havana was Started
December 15, 2018 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.62 MBFrom much of its early history, Key West stood in relative isolation due to the lack of regular mail service to the island, and the sporadic nature of the shipping supply channels which could easily be affected by storms and less than desirable weather. It wasn't until the end of the Civil War in this country that some enterprising businessmen decided to develop the undersea cable system to connect the US to other countries for Telegraph and Telephone calls. When the practicality of this typ...
December 14 - The Contract for the Building of the Key West Custom House was Awarded
December 14, 2018 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.8 MBAs Key West became increasingly wealthy, the four story architectural marvel known as the Custom House was built, and it is a perfect example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It's easily one of the most beautiful buildings in Key West and the crown jewel of the island. Despite the difficulties and delays in construction, the Custom House opened in April of 1891. Built at a total cost of $107,955 - and that was almost $30,000 over the budget. The Key West climate took an immediat...