1862 – Col. Tilghman H. Good of the U.S. Army recognized the legality of Key West’s recent elections and directed that civil authority would be restored to the island on January 1.
1938 – Toll receipts showed that 1,821 automobiles, carrying 3,632 passengers, traveled the Overseas Highway over the Christmas weekend.
1939 – A meeting with an electrical engineer was held in Tavernier to discuss the electrification of the Florida Keys. There would have to be three users for every mile of line for the venture to be feasible, meaning 300 subscribers would be required for the 100-mile-long project.
1941 – The Key West unit of the Florida Defense Force went on 24-hour duty. The members were to report for orders at the armory every evening at 7 o’clock.
1983 – Fire destroyed the Fountains Restaurant in the Old Cuban Club building at Duval and Amelia Streets. The fire started when a propane truck filling tanks at the restaurant apparently exploded.
1986 – Traffic on US 1 was at a near standstill throughout the Florida Keys. Monroe County Commissioner Mike Puto said, “We have a major problem here,” noting it could affect emergency services. Capt. Jay Toth of the Sheriff’s Department observed, “We’ve just got too many cars.”
1996 – Former President Jimmy Carter and 32 members of his family arrived in Key West for the New Year’s Holiday.
Information compiled by the late Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Fire at the Cuban Club at 1108 Duval Street on December 29, 1983. Gift Alex Vega. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center