1856 – The clipper ship Stephen R. Mallory was launched at Key West for the firm of Bowne and Curry. Shipbuilder John Bartlum used only Florida wood in constructing the 164-foot and 959-ton ship: live oak, madeira, mahogany, cedar, dogwood, horsewood, and yellow pine.
1884 – The brig Clarabelle, sailing from Aspinwall to Hampton Roads, arrived at Key West, and everyone onboard, minus the cook and one sailor, was ill with Chagres fever.
1926 – The Key West building inspector had a list of 266 dilapidated structures across the island that were slated to be torn down. Owners had the option of razing the structures themselves or having the city do it and billing them for the work.
1961 – A 27-foot fishing boat carrying 37 Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro government landed at Marathon. The migrants sought political asylum.
1964 – Dr. Wheelock A. Bison, a Key West native, was presented the Florida A&M Meritorious Achievement Award. Dr. Bison was a prominent Memphis physician and surgeon.
1981 – Tropical Storm Dennis stalled over South Florida, dumping 3.88 inches of rain on Key West.
1987 – Scenes for a television mini-series on the life of Ernest Hemingway were being filmed at the Hemingway House, Land Ends Marina and on the water off Key West.
2010 – The Key West City Commission voted 5-2 to include a referendum on the November ballot asking whether the city should acquire the Glynn Archer school building for use as a City Hall.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Glynn Archer Elementary School on White Street taken February 26, 2006. Key West City Hall since 2017. From the Dale McDonald Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.