Today in Keys History – April 27, 2024
1898 – The Army took over the Cuban telegraph cable from Western Union. Telegraph Superintendent M.L. Hellings was commissioned as captain in the Army and directed a secret intelligence network in Cuba he had organized using Western Union employees.
1968 – The Key West Citizen was accorded double honors at the Florida Press Association annual meeting in Jacksonville. The Citizen was given first place award for the best page one layout for daily newspaper with circulation under 20,000. Reporter Frank “Bud” Jacobson was given an honorable mention for his in-depth reporting of a land purchase by City Electric System that resulted in a state investigation.
1980 – A squall lasting 45 minutes swept across Key West and the Straits of Florida, with wind gusts up to 73 mph recorded. Vessels participating in the Mariel boatlift were struck, sinking several craft and leaving at least a dozen dead. At one point, Coast Guard Station Key West received 22 “May Day” calls within five minutes.
1992 – The film “Matinee,” starring John Goodman, began shooting on Smathers Beach.
1994 – Monroe County Circuit Judge Sandra Taylor ruled that construction of the controversial, 72-unit condominium complex “La Brisa Too” at the corner of Bertha Street and S. Roosevelt Blvd. in Key West could move forward. The project had been in limbo for 14 years.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: 1800 Atlantic complex and La Brisa complex at Bertha Street and South Roosevelt Boulevard on April 29, 1986. Monroe County Library Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.