1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose about half past five, before the sun made his appearance and read the “Acts.” The cargo of the Brig Halcyon was sold this morning at auction the coffee averaged around 8 3/4 cents and the sugars white 10 cents, brown 7 cents. The segars 11 dollars a thousand. In my opinion everything brought its full value and indeed cargoes of wrecked generally sell for their full values here or at least much better than one could suppose. The brig was libeled this morning by Oliver O’Hara agent for some persons in the Havana, who hold a Bottomry bond on her. There was no court today on account of the sale. Read Hammond, after dinner read Stewart. After tea played whist until near 10. Windy and cool.
1899 – The strike at the Gato cigar factory has been settled. The cigarmakers union, recently organized, has signed agreements with some factories and the other factories not paying the union wages will have to stop work.
1938 – In the general election Bernie C. Papy was re-elected as state representative and William Monsalvatge, Braxton B. Warren, Carl Bervaldi, Norberg Thompson and T. Jenkins Curry were elected to the Monroe County Commission. The winners in the Monroe County School Board race were Clarence H. Pierce, Allan B. Cleare and Ralph K. Johnson.
1948 – President Harry Truman arrived for a vacation and was greeted by a crowd estimated at 25,000 lining his route from Boca Chica to the Little White House. It was the largest crowd ever assembled in Key West.
1949 – Louis M.J. Eisner and John Carbonell were elected to four-year terms on the Key West City Commission and C.B. Harvey was elected to a two-year term. Eisner, by leading the ticket, was elected mayor by the commission.
1951 – President Harry Truman arrived for his tenth working vacation at the Little White House.
1954 – The 38th case of polio for the year was reported. A Navy man had been admitted with the paralytic form of the disease. Of the cases reported for the year, 28 had been Navy personnel or dependents.
1966 – John Spottswood was re-elected state senator.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library
Image: La Vista de Gatoville cigar box label. From the DeWolfe and Wood Collection. Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library. https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/6364823721