Today in Keys History – May 9, 2024
1924 – Real estate speculators were predicting Big Pine Key was positioned only behind Key Largo and Upper Matecumbe for a land boom. The large key was ideally located “in the midst of the marine gardens (reefs)” and could be used for both agriculture and as a winter resort.
1929 – Congressman M. Alfred Michaelson of Chicago was found not guilty in Federal Court on charges of smuggling and transporting intoxicating liquors. The Congressman’s brother-in-law claimed the two trunks liquor were his and had been included with Congressman’s baggage which was given a free pass through customs.
1946 – The Monroe County School Board voted to construct a two-room schoolhouse at Marathon at a cost of $20,000.
1969 – Key West High School baseball team defeated Lakeland 3-0 to win the State Class A Championship played in Lakeland.
1984 – Telly Otto “Toby” Bruce of Key West died at 71. Bruce had been the close friend and associate of Ernest Hemingway for 33 years and after his death acted as administrator of the author’s Key West assets.
2009 – A 24-foot-tall sculpture by artist Seward Johnson was installed in front of Key West’s Custom House Museum. The piece was entitled “Whispering Close” and was inspired by Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s 1883 painting “Dancing at Bougival.”
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Railroad tracks on Big Pine Key ca. 1920s. John Harold Sands Jr. collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.