1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose at seven and finished copying the answer. The wind during the night freshened and this morning it is so cold that I can scarcely write. Read Emerigon. At 11 A.M. the case of Aldridge, et. eal. vs. Schooner Milo came on. The Judge ordered $250 to be paid the salvoes or on failure thereof the Marshall is to sell one fifth of the cargo for costs of court. Mr. D.C. Pinkham invited me to dine with him on Christmas day. The Schooner Mobile and Smack Franklin arrived today from St. Marks. After dinner went up to Edward Chandler’s office to consult with him respecting steps to be taken in sustaining the libel of Oliver O’Hara vs. Brig Halcyon. At 2 P.M. the thermometer was at 58 degrees and the weather was so cold that immediately after tea I went to bed to keep warm and read a new novel called “Del’orme” until 10. the wind was about north northwest and very cold.
1860 – Elections were held for delegates to the convention at Tallahassee to determine if Florida would join the Confederate States of America. The Secessionists were victorious and announced they would take Fort Taylor.
1899 – The last epidemic of yellow fever that was to strike Key West ended with the cool winter weather. During the outbreak there had been 1,320 cases of fever reported and 68 deaths. Dr. J.Y. Porter, state health officer, estimated that the total cases may have been near 4,000, since a lot of families treated patients at home and never called a doctor.
1917 – The first planes flew from the new Naval Air Station on rented land at the railroad yard on Trumbo Point. Two planes made a test flight over the city.
1956 – Actor and singer Burl Ives was visiting with Tennessee Williams. Ives was in the Keys to pursue his hobby of bird watching.
1957 – Billie Watkins Moody was charged with setting the fire that destroyed the First Baptist Church on April 2, 1956. He also admitted to setting other fires across the country.
1975 – Lew Schlegel took the oath as the third Circuit Court Judge in a ceremony at Marathon.
1976 – A secret report on biological warfare was made public by the Army that Key West was one of the sites used for simulated biological warfare attacks during the 1950’s and 60’s. One of the substances used in Key West was “serrata marcescens” which can cause a rare type of pneumonia.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library.
Image: Naval Air Station Key West on Trumbo Point, circa 1919. U.S. Navy. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.