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1902 – Movie star Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, popularly known as “Stepin Fetchit,” was born in Key West.
1924 – Great interest was being shown in the eastern part of Key West. One plan called for all the beaches from the foot of White Street to the head of the island to be developed and for the Salt Ponds to be dredged for yacht basins.
1936 – President Franklin Roosevelt approved a loan of $3.6 million to build a highway over the old Overseas Railroad bridges.
1949 – With the dedication of a plaque at Bayview Park, members of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs designated U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys as a Blue Star Memorial Highway to honor those who served in WWII. It was the first such marker in the state.
1985 – In federal court, 12 of the 14 persons charged in what was known as the “Bubba Bust” drug case were found guilty.
2003 – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a policy that allowed for the removal or extermination of feral cat populations that threatened native wildlife. The new rule was largely prompted by a problematic feral cat population on North Key Largo.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: An aerial view of the eastern end of Key West and Stock Island, including the Salt Ponds, Flagler Avenue, and the railroad track, ca. 1920. Ed Knight Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.