1850 – The ship Abalino, carrying ice from Boston to New Orleans, ran onto American Shoal. Wreckers took out 150 tons of the cargo, and the vessel refloated without any significant injury.
1908 – The new bandstand at the U.S. Army Barracks in Key West was completed, and public concerts were to be given by the Army Band on Monday and Friday evenings, as well as Wednesday afternoons.
1929 – The Navy, using the submarine S-4, began testing a submarine escape device known as the Momsen Lung. The tests were conducted near Smith Shoals.
1934 – Renowned golfer Gene Sarazen visited Key West. During his visit he met with fans and gave Mayor William Malone an autographed ball. Sarazen had won the National Open Championship in 1922 and 1932, and the PGA Championship in 1933.
1955 – Construction began on a development at the east end of Flagler Avenue that was named the “Gold Coast of Key West.” The development had over 40 homes with deep water canals suitable for large yachts.
1974 – The number of registered Monroe County voters outside of Key West was about 400 less than in the island city. Key West had 11,249; the Lower Keys, 3,019; the Middle Keys, 3,006; and the Upper Keys, 4,804.
1984 – An international trade conference between the United States, Japan, Canada and the European Community was held over the weekend at the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada.
1994 – The semi-pro Key West Wreckers football team had their debut game against the Miami Knights at Tommy Roberts Stadium. Unfortunately, the Wreckers fell to the visitors 37-0.
2008 – The schooner Western Union was in a Miami boatyard, undergoing $100,000 of repairs to its planking and transom. The fixes would hopefully allow the vessel’s Coast Guard certification to be renewed.
2019 – Zhao Qianli, a Chinese national, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for trespassing on Key West’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South property and photographing the secure facility.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: An Army Band at Key West, ca. 1900. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.