1867 – The recovered cargo of the steamer George Cromwell, wrecked off Indian Key, was appraised at $40,000 and the vessel at $50,000, but the U.S. District Court Judge at Key West was absent, so no salvage award could be determined.
1886 – Two men were killed, and another severely wounded at a charcoal-making camp on Big Pine Key when William Cooper shot his colleagues with little warning and no reason. When one of his victims asked, “Why did you shoot me? Did I ever harm you?” Cooper responded, “No. I only shot you to please myself.” Cooper escaped by boat, and a $300 reward was offered for his capture.
1901 – St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Duval Street was destroyed by fire. The old church had survived the Great Fire of 1886. A large part of the church’s valuables were saved. The fire main system was undergoing repairs and the lack of water hampered the firemen.
1909 – Professor M.P. Geiger of Harris High School was attacked on the street by Martin Sheridan. Prof. Geiger had recently administered a whipping to five boys, including Sheridan’s son, for throwing rocks at houses near the school. The punishment upset the father, so he took revenge.
1931 – Captain Eddie Sanders of the shark fishing boat Holland brought in 36 sharks for the Ocean Leather Company. The catch made with a 300-foot net was mostly nurse sharks. The sharks’ skin was used for leather, the livers were for codfish oil, and the fins were sold for shark fin soup.
1955 – Charley Toppino & Sons bought a 30-acre tract of Key West land that would become a neighborhood along Riviera Drive. The sales price was reported as $150,000.
1968 – John N. Thompson, president of Thompson Enterprises, announced the sale of the company’s shrimp fleet and property and buildings on Caroline Street to Sea Farms, Inc.
2003 – The U.S. government revoked the travel license of the Chonchord Cayo Hueso Sailing Club, a group that had been carrying medicine and other humanitarian aid to Cuba. Authorities said an event held in May, the “3rd Annual Conch Republic Race to Cuba,” had violated license regulations.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Ocean Leather processing sharks on Wisteria Island in the 1930s. From a collection of photographs taken or collected during the 1930s by the WPA workers in Key West. The Heritage House Collection, donated by the Campbell, Poirier and Pound families. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.