1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose at dawn and read some cases respecting the validity of awards. Oliver O’Hara and Mr. Torrey came to my office to consult on steps requisite to be taken in the prosecution of their respective libels against the Brig Halcyon and her cargo. Two of the Westcotts dined with us and Oliver O’Hara and Col. Lackland M. Stone. After dinner took a sail in Algernon Thurston’s new boat. Captain J. Place came down and reports that a British barque from some port in South America with a large sum of specie on board got inside of the reef. He piloted her out and the Captain would not come to the Key but gave him paper stating that he had rendered service to the barque. The money belongs to the British government. I felt quite unwell the whole morning and took a dose of Rhubarb Wine before going to bed. During the night the wind got around to the southwest and blew very fresh for a short time attended with a violent rain, wind during the day and weather pleasant.
1905 – Dr. John B. Maloney was promoted chief surgeon for the Second Infantry Regiment, Florida National Guard.
1954 -The 53-unit Southernmost Motel at the corner of Duval and South streets was under construction. The owners Ben and Aron Mazur planned to be renting units by Jan. 1.
1966 – The Navy reported that the military community in Key West was composed of 8,582 Navy, 663 Air Force, 570 Army, 37 Coast Guard, 1,180 military students, 1,294 civilian employees and 10,002 military dependents living in the area.
1972 – Harry S. Truman, 88, the 33rd American President, died in Missouri. He had spent 11 working vacations at the Little White House in Key West.
1975 – The Florida Statistical Abstract for 1975 showed that in 1974 Monroe County had the highest cost of living of any county in Florida. This was the first time that Monroe County surpassed Dade County as the most costly place to live in Florida.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library.
Images: The Presidential Gates to the Naval Station when President Harry Truman died in 1972. Ida Woodward Barron Collection.
The Southernmost Motel pool in 1963. Photo by Don Pinder
Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.