Today in Keys History – September 7, 2024
1878 – A hurricane that claimed hundreds of lives in Cuban and Haiti passed over the Middle Keys on a due north course that took it over the Everglades.
1910 – The citizens of Key West awarded a gold medal to Corporal George Watkins for being the best marksman in the Key West Guards.
1917 – Juan Farto, proprietor of the Victoria restaurant, purchased the property at the corner of Duval and Greene streets where the restaurant stands. The purchase price was $7,800.
1923 – The Monroe County Schools public kindergarten was established in Key West on the Division Street annex. Miss Susan Gardner was teacher, with Averil Cleare assisting. Because of large enrollment there were two sessions daily, from 9-11:30 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m.
1954 – The Key West City Commission passed an ordinance requiring the island’s horse owners to pay a $5 registration fee for each animal. Carnival and rodeo horses were excluded.
1983 – Jennie Bethel deBoer died at the age of 97. She grew up at the Key West Lighthouse, where her father William Bethel was the keeper for 25 years. During World War I, she served in the Navy as a Yeomanette. After the war, she worked for The Key West Citizen for 35 years.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Jennie Bethel deBoer at the Key West Lighthouse ca 1910. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.