A New York Times reporter wrote a vivid description of the Key West in 1873.

In November 1831, a ship carrying 230 Irish laborers to New Orleans ran aground. The passengers rose up and caused havoc in Key West.

1889 – Key West’s cigarmakers were on strike and the work stoppage was affecting other businesses on the island. After determining his...

1870 – A report from Key West noted: “A hurricane from the north-east has been raging here during the past five days. All the lower...

1862 – The yellow fever epidemic that began in August was running its course but still five members of the 90th New York Regiment at Key...

1901 – St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Duval Street was destroyed by fire, though a large part of the church’s valuables...

1927 – A spectacular chase through the streets of Key West resulted in the arrest of Willard Hopkins, who was carrying 85 gallons of...

1862 – During the month of August there were 150 cases of yellow fever reported by the Army in Key West. The deaths from fever totaled...

1860 – An out-of-town man stole the slave ship William , which had been seized by the government, from its berth in Key West. A customs...

1911 – The average temperature for July was 83 degrees. The highest temperature was 90 degrees on the 26th, and the lowest was 72...

1907 – Two laborers working on the Florida East Coast railroad died after drinking illicit liquor purchased from itinerant bootleggers...

1825 – The brig Lima , sailing from Havana to Philadelphia, wrecked on the reef off “the Saddle Hills.” It carried a cargo of silks,...

1823 – Monroe County, the sixth county in Florida, was established by an act of the territorial legislature and signed by Governor...

1845 – The American schooner Gleaner arrived at Key West with 300 barrels of flour but left a short while later, followed by a Spanish...

1924 – Real estate speculators were predicting Big Pine Key was positioned only behind Key Largo and Upper Matecumbe for a land boom....

1893 – A man named Andre Peniche was forced to leave Key West after suspicion grew that he was a Spanish spy. Cuban residents of the...

1829 – It was proposed to establish a Temperance Society at Key West. 1950 – Rough seas from a cold front forced all 250 boats of the...

1834 – A proposal for a newspaper to be called the Key West Sentinel said, “Original essays on local subjects will be thankfully...

1848 – The new Key West Lighthouse on Whitehead Street was lighted for the first time. The lighthouse was built to replace the one...

1844 – The brig Bertrand , sailing from Portland, ME, to Mobile with a cargo of hay and potatoes, wrecked on the rocks near Sand Key....