Today in Keys History – November 1
1822 – The brig Samson, sailing from Mobile to Maine, was boarded by pirates off the Dry Tortugas. The passengers and crew were robbed of all their money and clothing, and the brig’s chain, cable, and new sails were taken. The captain and cook were hung up, and, along with the crew, they were severely beaten.
1899 – The Key of the Gulf newspaper changed its name to the Key West Inter-Ocean.
1906 – The morning daily newspaper, the Inter-Ocean, and the Citizen, a weekly paper, combined to form the Citizen Publishing Company which began publishing a new afternoon daily, The Key West Citizen. Walter W. Thompson was president, Marcy H. Darnell business manager and T.T. Thompson treasurer.
1908 – Jarvara Lopez of Key West was shot in the abdomen while looking for ghosts with friends in a haunted house. The group was startled by a shadow when Lopez was wounded. It was unclear if Lopez accidentally shot himself or if a friend hit him by mistake.
1939 – Naval Station Key West was formally reopened after having been put into caretaker status in 1932. To celebrate, factory whistles, church bells, and sirens were sounded for 10 minutes. A parade then went down Duval Street, followed by a dance.
1960 – The Key West-Havana ferry arrived in the night on its final trip from Cuba. There were 287 passengers and 86 cars, among which were an undisclosed number belonging to the American Embassy in Havana.
1974 – Due to limits on pumping and waterline carrying capacity, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority asked the Monroe County Commission to stop issuing building permits and certificates of occupancy to slow consumption. The FKAA explained that, assuming it took over the pipeline from the Navy, upgrades would take two years to complete.
1983 – Richard Heyman was elected Mayor of Key West.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The piers on the Naval Station Key West on June 25, 1937, while in caretaker status. From the Ida Woodward Barron collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.