1829 – Col. George M. Brooke of the U.S. Army, accompanied by a Dr. Macomb, arrived at Key West to examine the island and select a site for barracks and military station. Arrangements were also made for the placement of a battery on the beach in front of the custom house.
1854 – Lieutenant Joseph Totten of the U.S. Coast Survey, onboard the schooner Petrel, was triangulating the “inner” Florida Keys. He was also soon to commence placing cast iron piles on the most dangerous reefs, which would serve as both signals for passing vessels and survey stations.
1924 – With speculation of a bridge linking Key Largo to the mainland, interest in the island’s real estate was on the increase. One investor was looking to buy a 1,500-acre parcel, and subdivisions were being laid by the Florida Keys Corporation and C.J. Huelsenkamp of Miami.
1986 – Florida Governor Bob Graham led the opening ceremonies to mark the beginning of the restoration of the San Carlos Institute in Key West. Many local and state dignitaries, joined by leaders of Florida’s Cuban community, came together to celebrate the renewal of the historic building that stands on what Graham called “the only free Cuban soil in this hemisphere.”
2000 – The State of Florida asked the U.S. District Court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the ACLU aimed at overturning a state law that prohibited gay couples from adopting children. The lead plaintiffs in the case, Key Westers Steven Lofton and Roger Crouteau, wanted to adopt three foster children they were raising.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The San Carlos Institute at 516 Duval Street, closed for renovation in January 1988. Photo by Raymond L. Blazevic. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.