1828 – David H. Porter, Commanding Officer of the Mexican Navy Ship Guerrero, while sailing to Key West to join his uncle Commodore David Porter’s Mexican Navy Fleet in Key West, was killed in a battle with the Spanish ship Lealtad. After Commodore David Porter left the U.S. Navy, he was hired to establish a navy for the new country of Mexico. He was using Key West as a base to attack the Spanish shipping around Cuba.
1839 – The Brig Joseph of Portland, Maine, wrecked on Sombrero Key with a cargo of hay and paving stones. Wreckers got the badly damaged vessel of the reef with considerable exertion and towed it to Key West.
1899 – The Key West Electric Street Railway company operated their first car on Duval Street. Everything worked smoothly and the car made frequent trips to La Brisa, carrying nearly 500 people before it stopped for the night.
1929 – A Pan-American Airways plane from Havana, with two occupants, was found in Florida Keys waters by the automobile ferry during its regular run from Matecumbe Key to No Name Key. The aircraft, which had gone down the day before and drifted all night, was towed to No Name, and the pilot and passenger were delivered there, unharmed.
1933 – Products handcrafted from local coconut fronds were becoming popular in Key West. Moses Kelly of 614 Petronia had floor mats available, and Mary Saunders of 624 Petronia had a line of woven hats for sale at 40 cents each.
1936 – The City of Key West placed a police vehicle known as a “Black Mariah” into service. The patrol wagon was to be kept at City Hall and used on demand to transport detainees to the jail upon their arrest.
1952 – Robert Frost, Dean of American Poets, arrived in Key West as guest of Mrs. Jessie Porter Newton.
1968 – Claude Valdez was named winner of the contest to design a flag for the City of Key West. His flag would later become the flag of the Conch Republic.
1968 – The Key West City Commissioners voted unanimously to donate 15 acres of land on Stock Island for the Lower Keys Hospital.
1998 – When the qualifying ended 14 candidates had signed up for one of the five council seats for the Keys newest municipality: Islamorada, A Village of Islands.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Claude Valdez (center) with the Key West flag he designed in 1968. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.