1831 – U.S. Army troops, under the command of Lieutenant Francis B. Newcomb, arrived on the schooner Thames to establish the Army Barracks, Key West, on the site of the present-day Peary Court housing.
1877 – A boat that had left Key West to search for survivors from the wreck of the steamship Emile returned with two men who were found wading near “Harbor Key,” one of whom had gone insane from his suffering.
1892 – Cuban revolutionary José Martí gave a speech on the island’s independence from Spain at the San Carlos Theater in Key West. The doors were closed early because an enthusiastic audience quickly filled every available space.
1909 – The Manuel Lopez Cigar Company of New York purchased property along Key West’s County Road (Flagler Ave.) and signed a contract for the construction of a three-story, concrete building. The new business was expected to employ over 250 cigarmakers.
1947 – After receiving many complaints from residents, Monroe County Sheriff Berlin Sawyer assigned two deputies to patrol Stock Island to end “promiscuous shooting” there. “We intend to stop the firing of guns on Stock Island,” he said.
1967 – A group of 75 militant Cuban and Haitian exiles, armed with guns and bombs, were arrested at Coco Plum Beach near Marathon. The men were planning to invade Haiti, overthrow the Duvalier government, and then use the country as a base to wage war against Cuba, with the goal of ousting Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
1999 – A large group of Cuban refugees – 28 adults and 2 children – came ashore at Fort Taylor Beach. Local businesses provided food, water, and blankets, and the group was taken to Monroe County jail for shelter and processing by immigration authorities.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The newly-built Manuel Lopez Cigar Factory in Key West, 1909. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.