1812 – The schooner Orion of Philadelphia, sailing from Jamaica with a cargo of coffee, logwood and castor oil, was wrecked on the Florida Reef. The crew was rescued the following day, but the schooner and cargo were lost entirely.
1900 – The Key West Elks Club was established.
1926 – The Mallory steamer Comal would henceforth stop also at Key West in its existing Miami-to-New Orleans run. The 3,000-ton vessel could carry 84 passengers.
1926 – Ignacy Paderewski, considered to be the world’s greatest pianist, visited Key West with his wife. Paderewski was a former prime minister of Poland and a signer of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.
1937 – The morning’s auction receipts at the sponge wharf at Caroline and Grinnell streets totaled $8,000.
1940 – The Navy announced that a contract had been awarded to construct a new auxiliary seaplane base at Trumbo Point. Work was to begin in early March, and scores of Key West laborers were expected to be hired.
1954 – The Navy’s midget submarines T-1 and T-2 arrived at Naval Station Key West for permanent assignment. The 131-foot, 250-ton subs were to work with the anti-submarine force in games of “hide and seek.”
1960 – The Ted Williams-Key West Tarpon Rodeo was opened by Mayor Delio Cobo and baseball great Ted Williams.
1966 – The Winn Dixie supermarket in Searstown shopping center had its grand opening.
1967 – David Wolkowsky began construction of the Pier House Motel.
1967 – Fausto’s opened their new grocery store on Fleming Street. For six months the store had been closed after a disastrous fire.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The Winn Dixie supermarket in Searstown Shopping Center circa 1965. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.