May Sands school teacher (1885-1956). Photo gift of Don Lowe. 1923 –A fire began in the unoccupied cigar factory at the corner of White...

1858 – Sombrero Key Lighthouse was first lighted. 1865 – The Key West Literary Association honored Major Benjamin C. Lincoln, commander...

1911 – The Riley Brothers Construction Company began work on the new Weather Station at Sand Key, seven miles southwest of Key West. 1921...

1896 – Juana Borrero Pierra, Cuban patriot, poet and painter, died of tuberculosis in Key West at the age of 18. Borrero began painting...

1904 – Key West police officer Clarence K. Till was killed in a shootout with Dutchy Melbourne. Officer Till had answered a call about a...

1891 – William Tuttar of Key Largo was bitten by a “monster rattle-snake, with seventeen rattles and a button.” He killed the reptile,...

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

1848 – The Irish ship Mertoun , sailing from New Orleans to Liverpool, wrecked at Delta Shoal off Key Vaca with 1,400 bales of cotton,...

1858 – During the night, 12 enslaved Key Westers escaped from the island by stealing the Sand Key lighthouse boat. Despite a large...

1906 – John D. Rockefeller was staying on board a private yacht at Key West. He was spotted dining at a local hotel. 1941 – In a...

1823 – The first and second mates and two crew of the brig Antelope of Providence, RI, deserted at the Florida Reef. They took the...

1833 – A correspondent from Key West wrote, “Disease has attacked us here very severely. Six U.S. soldiers have died lately. One will be...

1890 – The schooner Competitor , with a crew of 11, returned from a five-week voyage to the sponge beds with 1,375 bunches. Their haul...

1900 – Jacob McCleary, who worked on the Big Pine Key farm of Whitmore Pinder, shot and killed James Straun. For some time, Straun had...

1835 – Dr. Henry S. Waterhouse, Postmaster at Indian Key, left in a canoe for a fishing excursion, accompanied by his son. Shortly after,...

1824 – An unlit beacon, 49 feet high, was erected on “Porpoise Island” (Sand Key) to warn mariners of the reef. 1892 – The Electric...

1825 – Commodore David Porter sailed from Key West to the north coast of Cuba on the steamer Sea Gull on a cruise in search of pirates....

1836 – Key West Collector of Customs and Superintendent of Lights Wm. A. Whitehead issued the following notice: “In consequence of the...

1852 – The bark General Thomas , sailing from St. Marks to New York with a cargo of cotton and tobacco, went ashore on Middle Key, Dry...

1839 – The barque Mary Ballard , sailing from Boston to New Orleans with a cargo of ice and salt fish, wrecked on Carysfort Reef. The...