1861 – Supplies and a detachment of 62 troops from the First U.S. Artillery were landed at Fort Taylor from the steamer Daniel Webster to reinforce Capt. John M. Brannan’s company. The Webster then steamed to the Dry Tortugas with additional men and six months of provisions for Fort Jefferson.
1907 – Key West was experiencing a drought, as it had not rained to any effect for some months; only enough to “dampen the dust.” There was very little drinking water on the island.
1912 – U.S. Secretary of State Philander C. Knox met the cruiser USS Washington at Key West to embark on a tour of Latin America.
1940 – Dr. J.B. Parramore of the Monroe County Health Unit said that in the past three days, 689 county residents had been examined by X-ray for indications of tuberculosis.
1967 – Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon was accredited by the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation, making it the first hospital in Monroe County to achieve such recognition.
1974 – The Key West Towers and Gardens Apartments were purchased by a local partnership who changed the name to Key West By the Sea and converted the units to condominiums.
1974 – A custom-made worm gear cracked in the machinery of the Seven Mile Bridge’s Moser Channel swing span, jamming the bridge in the open position for nearly four hours before it could be realigned with the road.
2007 – Jurors in Key West’s federal court found former Monroe County Attorney Jim Hendrick guilty of conspiracy, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice in relation to a bribery scheme and subsequent cover-up relating to the 1996 redevelopment of Hall’s Resort in Marathon.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The Old Seven Mile Bridge with cars stopped for the Swing Bridge section open. Dale McDonald Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.