Today in Keys History – Nov. 30, 2022
1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose with the sun. Captain Wallace of the Schooner Mayflower is sick with the bilious fever and the schooner will be detained some days longer. Brother and myself invited to dine with Oliver O’Hara. I shall not read much while Brother remains. Wrote Father to go by the Schooner Hitchcock. At 3 PM sat down to an excellent dinner of fish and fowl. The Captain of the Natchez and several of her officers were at the table. Nineteen persons sat down after the cloth was removed several kinds of wine were introduced and among them Champaign which in a short time produced their usual effect and we had several songs, stories and so forth. Captain Newton sung several songs very well and some of the officers also sung well. At 8 I left the table having drunk, although I was very cautious, more than I ought for I could feel the effects very perceptibly. At half past nine the party broke up. Nearly all were a little intoxicated and several of them very much so. Among the latter number was Brother who was excessively drunk and it was with the greatest difficulty that we could get him to bed. After he had taken several cups of strong coffee he got rather more sober and consented to go to sleep. The wind about east northeast and blows quite fresh and the weather rather cool for my feelings.
1885 – The Key West Board of Trade, the first commercial body, was organized with John Jay Philbrick as president.
1899 – Dr. J.Y. Porter, state health officer, reported that during the yellow fever epidemic there had been 1,320 cases of the fever reported and 68 deaths. He estimated that the total cases may have been near 4,000 since a lot of families treated patients at home and never called a doctor.
1937 – President Franklin Roosevelt interrupted his Florida fishing vacation to visit the Dry Tortugas on the yacht Potomac.
1960 – The U.S. Bureau of Census reported that Key West had a population of 33,956 and the county outside of Key West had 13,965 for a total of 47,921.
1963 – The Gallery Lounge Tavern, Murray Singer owner, was located 224 Duval St.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library
Images:
1 – The founding of the Key West Board of Trade on December 4, 1885. The officers were: J.J. Philbrick, president; Eduardo Gato, first vice president, J.J. Delany, second vice president and G.W. Allen third vice president. The Board of Governors were: William Curry, A.F. Tift, J.W. Sawyer, M.L. Hellings, J.V. Harris, J. Lowe Jr., J.Y. Porter, P.A. Williams, R.A. Monsalvatge and J. Fogarty. Horatio Crain was the secretary. https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/10890731606
2 – The Secretary of State of Florida certifies the Constitution of the Key West Board of Trade dated April 11, 1895. https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/10890680425
Scott DeWolfe Collection. Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library.