1830 – The Key West Register reported that 1,074 vessels had put in at the Key West Custom House between January 1, 1826, and January 1, 1830. It was estimated another 500 had come into the port informally.
1875 – The 1874 crop of Key Largo pineapples was reported to be 250,000, and, with new plantings, it was thought the 1875 crop would be near 300,000.
1906 – A group of fishermen killed a monk seal about five miles from Key West; it was the first one seen in the area in 30 years. The skin and skull were on display on Virginia street at the home of Johnathan Cates, Jr. and available for purchase.
1908 – The officers and ladies of the Artillery District of Key West hosted a reception and dance for 200 guests at La Brisa pavilion. The Ninth Artillery Band performed, and the dance program featured 26 numbers, with several extras added.
1921 – Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, arrived in Key West to deliver the first of three nightly addresses to the island’s Black population at Samaritan Hall on Whitehead Street. Many hundreds attended his talks. Garvey advocated for Black society to split from White culture in order to thrive. The FBI sent agents to Key West to keep tabs on the then-controversial figure.
1951 – Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews was the principal speaker at the official opening and dedication ceremony of the East Martello Tower for use as a Museum and Art Gallery by the Key West Art & Historical Society.
1974 – A team of U.S. Customs agents, accompanied by dogs, wrapped up a week-long sweep through the Keys, where they inspected every fishing vessel between Marathon and the Dry Tortugas. It was rumored they were looking for drugs, but none were found, and “the place was considered clean.”
1994 – A caravan of Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies and Key West Police officers moved 160 prisoners from the old jail on Fleming Street to the new Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island, marking the functional opening of the $31.5 million facility.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Postcard of the La Brisa at the Atlantic end of Simonton Street, ca. 1900. The DeWolfe and Wood Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.