Today in Keys History – July 23, 2024
1859 – The California steamship Moses Taylor arrived at Key West from Aspinwall with over 700 passengers and $2.14 million in gold. The steamer took on 130 tons of coal and dropped off 21 people bound for New Orleans before heading to New York.
1879 – The bark Bessie Wittich, sailing from Mobile to Liverpool, came into Key West with the captain sick and the vessel leaking badly. It was hauled into the upper harbor so “submarine divers” could examine the hull and stop the leaks.
1919 – A strike by concrete workers and carpenters’ helpers stopped work on the new Flagler System tourist hotel in Key West, recently named Casa Marina. The local rotary club appointed a committee to try to resolve the dispute.
1942 – The merchant vessel Onondaga was sunk off the north coast of Cuba by the German submarine U-129.
1950 – The combined USO Center and YMCA at the corner of Whitehead and Southard streets in Jackson Square provided services and entertainment to military personnel stationed in Key West.
1952 – Three people on Harris Avenue reported seeing a “flying saucer,” described as a reddish-yellow ball, to the east of Key West.
1990 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation creating the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The USO/YMCA Building that stood at 530 Whitehead Street, along Southard, in Jackson Square, ca. 1950. Jeff Brodhead Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.