1858 – During the night, 12 enslaved Key Westers escaped from the island by stealing the Sand Key lighthouse boat. Despite a large reward for their capture, they eluded all pursuit. It was thought the group fled to The Bahamas to find freedom.
1897 – The Monroe County Schools received state aid of 60 cents per student based on an average attendance of 1,473 students.
1924 – A Key West Fisherman reported that he found a spring of clear freshwater bubbling from the ground on an unnamed Key 18 miles distant from Key West.
1934 – A license plate of the new, “unstealable” design was stolen from Key Wester Manuel Naranjo’s 1925 Model T Ford. Plate number T-15-353 was removed from the vehicle while he was picnicking a secluded spot up the Keys.
1940 – Renowned poet Robert Frost began a three-week stay at the Casa Marina in Key West to recover from a serious surgical operation.
1974 – Robert J. Dean was selected as chairman of the Key West Housing Authority. Dean had been appointed to the KWHA five years earlier, replacing Everett B. Felton.
1975 – The Oldest House on Duval Street officially opened as a museum. The house was restored by the Historic Key West Preservation Board and the Old Island Restoration Foundation, which managed the museum.
2007 – Key West Express began ferry service between Key West and Miami.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Robert Frost and Jessie Porter in the Heritage House, 410 Caroline Street. The Heritage House Collection, donated by the Campbell, Poirier and Pound families. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.