Today in Keys History – October 30, 2024
1900 – The people of Key West raised over $1,200 for victims of the Galveston hurricane. The disbanded cigarmakers’ union voted to give the $375.75 remaining in the treasury to the cause.
1907 – Key West was grappling with whether to prohibit alcohol, and 5,000 residents attended debates at Jackson Square to listen to speakers advocate for both sides of the issue.
1909 – A committee appointed by the Key West City Council recommended the purchase of an Ahrens fourth size Continental steam fire engine, which could pump 500 gallons a minute. The price was $5,150.
1924 – The Locaval cigar factory at Olivia Street and Havana Lane in Key West was destroyed in an overnight fire.
1989 – The 475-foot Yugoslav freighter Mavro Vetranic ran aground in the Dry Tortugas, the second ship to strand on the Florida Reef in five days. The Vetranic was carrying 14,300 tons of phosphate and 143,000 gallons of fuel, and there was great concern that if the cargo spilled there would be great environmental damage.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Key West Fire Engine #2 ca. 1910. Dewey Riggs Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.