February 19

Florida East Coast Railway, Key West Extension. The Knight's Key Dock.

1908 – Many people were traveling by train from Miami to Knights Key “solely for the novelty of the ride over the sea by rail.” A large quarter boat was furnished as a “floating hotel” to accommodate those who wished to stay overnight at Knights Key Dock.

1924 – Vincent Astor arrived on his yacht Noumahal and sailed to Cuba later in the day.

1929 – Renowned song writer and composer Irving Berlin arrived at Key West from Long Key on the yacht Windswept. After a short stay in the city, he returned to Long Key.

1970 – Two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Kretchmer and the USS Foster, arrived from Pearl Harbor to join Key West’s Destroyer Division 601.

1983 – The USS Hercules (PHM-2) and the USS Gemini (PHM-6) arrived at Trumbo Point after a 5,000-mile voyage from Bremerton, Washington. The ships were assigned to Patrol Combatant Missile Hydrofoil Squadron Two station in Key West.

1999 – Key West Police Chief Buz Dillon told the Chamber of Commerce that all indications were that the island city was no longer a Spring Break hotspot. Roughly 2,000 students were expected for the upcoming break, roughly one-third the number from just a few years before.

Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.

Image: Florida East Coast Railway, Key West Extension. The Knight's Key Dock. Postcard mailed on July 20, 1909. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.