1940 – Company E, 265th Field Artillery of the Florida National Guard was called into active federal service. The 90 Key Westers under...

1892 – The U.S. War Department decided that Key West would be garrisoned for the first time since the late 1870s, after Col. Lahrette...

1887 – The Spanish language newspaper El Yara began publication in Key West. 1897 – Extremely high tides in the Upper Keys destroyed...

1853 – Capt. J.M. Scarritt of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was in charge the construction of Fort Taylor in Key West Harbor. It was...

1864 – Henry Hamilton and Darius Stokes, members of the 2nd USCT, were executed at Key West, probably by a firing squad, for mutiny that...

1901 – The Diebold Safe and Lock Company was installing a large vault in the County House for the use as an armory and for the Clerk of...

1901 – St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Duval Street was destroyed by fire, though a large part of the church’s valuables...

1946 – In a special meeting, the Key West City Commission passed a resolution authorizing the purchase of the beach property at the...

1862 – During the month of August there were 150 cases of yellow fever reported by the Army in Key West. The deaths from fever totaled...

1864 – John Whitehead died in New York. He had been a partner of John Simonton, John Fleming and Pardon Greene as the first American...

1910 – The steamer Virginia arrived at Boca Chica with railroad engine No. 10 and two construction cars to aid work there. Two arches...

1916 – The Thompson Fish Company of Key West was adding new boats to its fleet in preparation for the fall and winter seasons. The...

1863 – In a ceremony at Clinton Place in Key West, the local citizenry presented a $750 gold sword to Colonel Tilghman H. Good,...

1865 – Dr. Samuel Mudd, Edward Spangler, Michael O’Laughlen, and Samuel Arnold – all convicted as conspirators in the assassination of...

1953 – A tentative “Master Plan” for Key West was unveiled at the City Commission meeting. 1954 – John P. Goggin was named Marathon’s...

1888 – Benjamin B. Baker, master wrecker and pioneer pineapple planter on the Keys, died at his home on Key Largo. 1918 – France’s...

1900 – The Key West Library in the Masonic Temple building at 315 Simonton Street had 1,600 volumes under Librarian Sallie E. Roberts....

1851 – Key West had slowed with the summer season: The Coast Survey vessels charting the reef had left for Washington, D.C., work on the...

1845 – Construction began on Fort Taylor off the western end of Key West. 1924 – Melvin E. Russell, who had been elected Superintendent...

1895 – Between two and three hundred men, commanded by Cuban patriot leader Serafin Sanchez, secretly left Key West for Cuba to aid the...