1848 – 150 bales of damaged cotton salvaged from the ship Brewster were auctioned by the U.S. Marshal at Key West for between $17 and $20.50 each. More were expected to be sold the following day, along with some salvaged pork.
1876 – The second Garden Key Lighthouse, built atop Fort Jefferson, was lighted.
1930 – After months of testing on two buoys in the Key West Ship Channel, the Lighthouse Service determined that small, battery-powered electric lights were a feasible replacement for those lit by gas. A dozen dry-cell batteries kept one buoy lit for six months, while being cheaper and easier to replace than gas cylinders.
1969 – Former President Harry and Bess Truman left Key West after a two-week visit. This was his last visit to the Keys.
1975 – A state and federal property report on the former Key West Naval Station recommended the base’s best potential use was as “recreational, historical, cultural, and tourist attractions for the Key West community.”
1976 – Joseph “Bum” Farto, former Key West Fire Chief, failed to appear in court for sentencing after he was convicted of dealing drugs. He was never seen again.
1989 – The U.S. Air Force Surveillance blimp nicknamed “Fat Albert” went down in the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest of its station on Cudjoe Key.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The Lighthouse Service Buoy Tender Ivy alongside a pier with buoys. Another pier with buoys is on the right of the photo. Ca. 1935. From the Dale McDonald Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.