1909 – Dutchy Melbourne, who was serving a 13-year sentence in the state penitentiary, escaped. He had been convicted of the murder of Key West Police Officer Clarence Till, and robbery and arson.
1909 – Reports came from Key Largo that the recent hurricane destroyed many homes on the island, and the crops of fruits and vegetables were entirely ruined.
1922 – The Key West Rotary Club erected a sign at the Florida East Coast Railway station that said, “A Paradise for Winter Homes,” “Best Fishing in America and Fine Hotels,” and “Welcome to Key West.”
1953 – Because of the high number of polio cases in Key West, the Miami Health Department announced that no high school athletic teams from there would be allowed to travel to the island city.
1955 – Calling U.S. 1 between Key West and Miami a “killer highway” a Miami developer called for a superhighway to the mainland. The highway would have two lanes from Key West to Marathon, four lanes to Upper Key Largo, then six lanes to Miami.
1962 – The FAA constructed a temporary control tower at Key West International Airport overnight. In addition, many military personnel arrived in town over the weekend.
1965 – Over 130 Cuban refugees in 13 small boats landed in the Florida Keys, including 92-year-old Anselmo Hernandez, a fisherman who claimed to be the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” “I knew Hemingway for 30 years. Every time he was in Cuba he came to see me. He said he would write a novel about me. Then he did,” said Hernandez.
Information compiled by the late Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Equipment for the new airport control tower on October 21, 1962. Scott De Wolfe Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.