1899 – There were 23 new cases of yellow fever reported at Key West, for a total of 960. Certain segments of the Key West population were questioning if the yellow fever outbreak was genuine and if medical care was necessary. The Key West Herald wrote, “The criticizing of physicians and their methods of treating the fever by irresponsible parties has gone beyond the powers of endurance, and the health officials have made up their minds to put a stop to it. There are certain individuals who stand around on the street corners and abuse the doctors for claiming that the present epidemic is yellow fever, and also make slurring remarks about the way the hospital is run.”
1932 – Residents on United Street in Key West had been hearing strange noises in the night, and many were convinced it was a ghost. A police officer hid himself in the bushes overnight to learn the source of the sounds but discovered nothing.
1933 – A hurricane passed 50 miles to the southeast of Key West. Winds of 65 to 70 mph were recorded in Key West.
1951 – Helicopter Scouting Squadron HS-1 was commissioned in ceremonies held at the Seaplane Base. It was the first HS squadron in the Navy. Commander Joseph T. Watson was the Commanding Officer of the Squadron.
1953 – The Monroe County Health Department began administering gamma globulin shots to children and expectant mothers in Marathon and Tavernier to help prevent the spread of polio. To this date, there had been 35 cases of the disease in the Keys for the year.
1966 – Hurricane Inez passed over Key West during the night with winds to 90 mph and moderate damage. The storm passed over the keys from the north and the eye moved southwest moving over the Keys. The lowest barometer reading recorded in Key West was 29.18.
1982 – The winners of the Democratic primary for two Monroe County Commission seats were Ed Swift and Henry L. Rosenthal Jr.
2001 – Landscaper John Mumford and artist Rick Worth painted a 160-by-60-foot U.S. flag on Key West’s Mount Trashmore. “It’s the best place to show our patriotism and to honor victims and rescuers in New York and Washington,” said the duo.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: An inspection at Trumbo Annex of the Naval Air Station with the men, planes and helicopters on the ramp on June 16, 1951. Gift Joan Knight. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.