1855 – Florida Governor J.E. Broome signed a law passed by the Legislature that made it illegal for any Free Black person who arrived at Key West by ship to leave the dock. If they did, they faced arrest, and the master of the vessel was liable for any fines or costs of their punishment.
1861 – The State of Florida seceded from the Union. Key West, though, would stay under federal control and remain in the United States for the entirety of the Civil War.
1926 – Charles L. Ort of Ort Realty in Miami was meeting with Charles H. Ketchum, the company’s local representative, about their development known as “Key Largo City.” Ort claimed he was spending $20 million to create one of the finest developments in the country – an exclusive city with beautiful streets, boulevards, hotels, golf courses, and tennis courts.
1958 – Baseball great Ted Williams filed a declaration of domicile at the clerk of court listing his address as Islamorada.
1970 – Long Key State Park opened.
2008 – Developers of the Banyan Court townhouse complex on Truman Annex were considering converting an old, 260,000-gallon U.S. Navy water tank adjacent to their property into condominiums.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Baseball great Ted Williams at the A&B Lobster House, 1950s. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center