top of page
Today In Keys History
Daily column recounting events in Keys history on a specific date.


February 12
1961 – A documentary film about Hurricane Donna and its aftermath was presented at the Marathon Theater. The screening was presented by the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, with ticket sales to benefit their advertising campaigns.

Florida Keys History Center
15 minutes ago2 min read


February 11
1956 – Burglars struck four Key Largo establishments: Harry’s Restaurant at Tavernier; Henry Bogaard’s Restaurant, also at Tavernier; Stan & Mary’s Restaurant at Rock Harbor, and Chum’s Dairy Freeze. Cash registers, vending machines, and charity containers were all plundered.

Florida Keys History Center
24 hours ago2 min read


February 10
1986 – Monroe County Commissioners approved the construction of a new 150-seat restaurant at the site of the existing Driftwood Luncheonette on Higgs Beach in Key West. Local architects were asked to submit plans for the new eatery.

Florida Keys History Center
2 days ago2 min read


February 9
1994 – The Florida Keys Tourist Development Council OK’d more than $1 million toward the renovation of Key West’s White Street Pier. The money would go to restoring water flow by cutting and bridging two sections of the 1,100-foot-long structure and making the pier fully pedestrian.

Florida Keys History Center
3 days ago2 min read


February 8
1946 – Key West City Manager Dave King explained the reasons for recent bar raids on the island: The serving of alcohol past midnight; minors working and drinking in the bars; and fights and the use of profane language by patrons.

Florida Keys History Center
4 days ago2 min read


February 7
1912 – Keys political leader Wilhelmina Goehring Harvey was born at 1400 Petronia Street in Key West. She served on the Monroe County School Board and the Monroe County Commission, and she was the first woman to serve as Monroe County Mayor.

Florida Keys History Center
5 days ago2 min read


February 6
1974 – The Key West Armory building on White Street, newly restored by the Key West Historic Preservation Board, was re-opened. The building was available for rent for $50 per occasion.

Florida Keys History Center
6 days ago2 min read


February 5
1946 – Fred Dion purchased the Stone Hotel at White and Division streets in Key West from Edward Gomez for $28,000. The building had stores on the first floor and hotel rooms and apartments on the second.

Florida Keys History Center
7 days ago2 min read


February 4
1908 – The first train fully equipped for carrying passengers over the Overseas Railroad left Miami for Knights Key at 11 a.m. The train, consisting of six coaches and Henry Flagler’s private car, was an official excursion and no tickets were sold for the journey.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 32 min read


February 3
1967 – Navy officials announced the “ghost town” of abandoned buildings in the 35-acre Poinciana tract between 16th and 19th streets and Duck and Donald avenues in Key West would be torn down and replaced by townhouse-style buildings to create 212 new housing units.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 22 min read


February 2
2006 – The Friends of Fort Taylor launched a membership drive to call attention to the plight of the aging 19th century Key West fortification, which had suffered considerable damage months earlier during Hurricane Wilma.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 12 min read


February 1
1960 – After the lack of a rear exit forced firemen to break through the roof of a burning Duval Street store to fight the blaze, Key West Fire Chief Charles Cremata was conducting “fine-tooth comb” inspections all buildings on Duval to ensure they had proper exits and fire escapes.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 312 min read


January 31
1926 – The Key West Realty Board heard a proposal by Hilliard Hammerschlag for a sight-seeing bus to be operated from Trumbo Island to points throughout Key West. Hammerschlag said between 200 to 600 visitors were arriving via train and steamer daily, and the proposition would be a profitable one.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 302 min read


January 30
1911 – Curtiss Aircraft test pilot J.A.W. McCurdy attempted to fly from Key West to Havana but crashed in the water shortly before reaching Cuba. He was rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 292 min read


January 29
1926 – Percy A. Cook was sales manager for the Tropical Isles Sales Corporation, a New Jersey company selling Florida Keys realty. Cook had a home on Cook’s Island, one of the Newfound Harbor Keys.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 282 min read


January 28
1979 – Acclaimed playwright and Key West resident Tennessee Williams and his friend Datson Rader were assaulted on Duval Street. Both men were punched but neither needed medical attention. Williams said of the attackers, “Maybe they weren't punks at all, but instead New York drama critics.”

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 272 min read


January 27
1949 – The Key West Army Barracks property was transferred to the Navy. The 26-acre site between White Street and Palm Avenue would be used to build the Peary Court Navy housing complex.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 262 min read


January 26
1977 – The new United States Coast Guard Station Key West at Trumbo Annex was dedicated.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 252 min read


January 25
1946 – The submarine tender USS Howard W. Gilmore arrived in Key West. The big tender was the long-running flagship for the submarine squadron assigned to Key West.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 242 min read


January 24
1941 – Key West police were investigating the possible poisoning of two Key West women at a Duval Street bar after one drank a soft drink and the other a beer: both then becoming violently ill. Samples from the women’s stomachs were taken at the Marine Hospital for analysis. No results were reported.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 231 min read
News
bottom of page

