March 28

Lighthouse Military Museum opens in March 1966.

1925 – Deputy U.S. Marsal Andrew Lopez was authorized to collect all spurious or counterfeit coins in Key West, and it was requested that any residents who had such coins to deliver them to him.

1949 – General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived at Naval Station Key West. The General had been ill with a reported stomach ailment and was treated at the Key West Naval Hospital.

1966 – The Lighthouse Military Museum opened in the former Key West lighthouse keeper’s quarters on Whitehead Street.

1990 – An official of the Wackenhut Corporation, which was under contract to manage the Monroe County jail, announced procedural changes after multiple female spring breakers were forced to strip and squat after being booked into the facility for underage drinking. The guards who conducted the strip searches faced no disciplinary action.

1995 – Key West City Commissioners voted to pave the parking lot at the Key West Bight with asphalt. For years, the lot had been covered with oyster shells, but it was felt that asphalt would be cheaper to maintain.

1998 – Circuit Court Judge Steven Shea gave the oath of office to the first Islamorada Village Council. The Council then elected Ron Levy as the first mayor.

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

Image: Lighthouse Military Museum opens in March 1966. From left, Burt Garnett, Helen Kolikowski, and Col. John Hall Stokes look at exhibits. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.