1847 – The brig Planter of Belfast put into Key West, leaking “400 strokes per hour.” The leak first developed when Planter struck a bar on its way out of New Orleans, and it only increased until the crew could not proceed any further.
1892 – Barrels of Miami coontie starch, weighing 220 to 240 pounds, were selling at Key West for between 6 and 8 cents per pound.
1936 – A count of registered voters by Monroe County Supervisor of Registration John England showed 5,451 qualified voters on the rolls – 5,428 Democrats and 23 Republicans.
1946 – The Gulf Oil Company began construction of a distribution center along the harbor front at the north end of Duval Street.
1989 – After being bitten by a tick, a Big Pine Key man was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Despite public speculation, wildlife experts suspected that the white-footed deer mouse was the chief carrier of the bacterial agent, not Key deer.
2011 – Entrepreneur, author and part-time Key West resident Pat Croce bought a two-thirds interest in Green Parrot Bar. Croce vowed that the character of the beloved Key West musical and drinking establishment would not be changed.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The Gulf Oil facility at 0 Duval Street, Key West. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.