1862 – A “distillery machine” brought from New York was employed at Fort Taylor to convert seawater to freshwater, and it was providing the soldiers drinking water through a prolonged period of no rain.
1893 – Cuban revolutionary leader José Martí arrived in Key West from Tampa. Nearly every Cuban-occupied building and residence was decorated with bunting and Cuban flags, and a procession of 2,000 people went with Martí to the home of Theodore Gerez, his host, where Martí spoke about Cuba’s liberation from Spain.
1926 – A man, stripped to his underwear and covered in tar and feathers, was dumped from a car in front of the Monroe Theater in Key West. Earlier, he had been taken to jail for “annoying a white woman.” A mob of 15 angry masked men later stormed the lockup and forced city jailer J.O. Kemp to hand the detainee over to them. When he was dumped on Duval Street, the man had been told by the mob he had 24 hours to leave town.
1974 – With the threat of continued national gasoline shortages, Monroe County residents were asked to voluntarily conserve fuel. The issue was exacerbated by newly implemented weight restrictions on Keys bridges, which limited the size of tankers that could deliver supplies.
1984 – An abandoned 26-foot skiff with 75 bales of marijuana weighing 3,700 pounds was discovered near Big Pine Key by Florida Marine Patrol officers. Rumors began to spread that Colombian hitmen were coming from Miami to harm those responsible for the bungled smuggling operation.
1989 – During an overnight spraying mission, a Florida Keys Mosquito Control District DC-3 aircraft crashed into a mangrove island north of Big Torch Key, killing both pilots.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: A Civil War-era water desalination plant at Key West’s Fort Taylor after it was uncovered in March 1970. Photo by Raymond L. Blazevic. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.