1865 – The bark Adventure arrived in Key West in distress. Four crewmen were sick with yellow fever and sent to the Marine Hospital for treatment. The disease spread to Army troops on the island and resulted in an epidemic that caused 331 cases with 71 deaths among military personnel and an unknown number of cases among the civilian population.
1891 – Rufino Rueda (aka “El Mono”) was seized by vigilantes at Key West and sent to Havana on the steamer Whitney after a public mass-meeting was held and he was found to be “detrimental to the peace of the city.” Rueda was wanted for murder in Cuba and was jailed upon his arrival there.
1974 – Key West resident Dick Duane received a Clio award for excellence in advertising for his creative role in the commercial “Actives Are Here,” a Burlington Mills product.
1989 – Key West City Commissioners formally ended any discussion of the Monroe County Sheriff taking over city policing services. Sheriff Alison DeFoor had proposed the concept a month earlier as a way of increasing efficiency and saving the city money.
1994 – The City of Key West implemented a new “Cuban Heritage Trail” to bring awareness to the past and present contributions of Cubans to the island’s history and culture. A bilingual map and walking guide featured significant Cuban-oriented sites across the island.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Key West Marine Hospital, ca. 1865. Scott DeWolfe Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.