Today in Keys History – February 6, 2024
- Keys History Center
- Feb 5, 2024
- 2 min read
1917 – Polk’s Key West City Directory for 1917/18 listed 16 coffee shops in the city.
1954 – The Monroe County Commission approved $100,000 to match state money to build a bridge between Marathon and Key Vaca. The cut was filled when the railroad was built but the new bridge allowed the channel to be reopened.
1972 – The name of the Teen Center in Key West was changed to the Louis Carbonell Teen Center.
1974 – The Key West Armory building on White Street, newly restored by the Key West Historic Preservation Board, was re-opened. The building was available for rent for $50 per occasion.
1974 – The Florida Department of Transportation announced that Loop Road in mainland Monroe County would be turned over to the county for maintenance but said FDOT would take charge of Key West’s Flagler Avenue and portions of South Roosevelt Blvd.
1979 – In a special election, voters approved the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority accepting a loan of $53.2 million from the Farmers Home Administration for the replacement of the freshwater pipeline from the mainland. The new pipe, tapering from 36 inches to 24 inches, would nearly triple the carrying capacity of the old, 18-inch line.
1981 – Grace L. Jones of Key West died. For many years she lived and worked in Marathon and the Grace Jones Day Care Center is named for her in recognition of her many years of services to the Keys.
2019 – A United Way report showed that 42 percent of year-round households in Monroe County were struggling to pay for basic needs. The highest percentages were in Stock Island (63%), Tavernier (54%), and Marathon (53%).
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The National Guard Armory about 1970. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
