1870 – The Sears School, Key West’s first public school, was established on Free School Lane. 1890 – The Key West Investment Company...

1845 – A writer at Key West complained that the weather was severe, and the thermometer had dropped to 60 degrees. 1888 – The contract...

1831 – After “a rather free indulgence of their orisons to Bacchus,” 230 Irish laborers, rescued from the wreck of the ship Maria and...

1897 – Extremely high tides on Key Largo destroyed thousands of tomato plants and other winter vegetables on the upper Keys. 1920 – The...

1837 – The schooner Lagrange of Bristol, Rhode Island, ran ashore on Pickles Reef but was refloated after wreckers removed part of its...

1840 – President Martin Van Buren recognized Fielding A. Browne as Vice Consul to Spain for Key West. 1906 – During 48 hours over nine...

1862 – Rear Admiral Chas. Wilkes of the West India Squadron ordered the U.S. steamer Santiago de Cuba to sail from Havana to Key West to...

1864 – Former Mayor John P. Baldwin died in Lake City, FL. He had served as Mayor of Key West from 1858 to May 1861 when all officials...

1863 – A correspondent from Key West wrote that because of a fear of yellow fever, “Steamers pass by us both ways with no more of...

1857 – Key West was struck in multiple places during an intense lightning storm. The hospital at Fort Taylor was hit, and the north end...

1850 – Two men were rescued from Matecumbe Key, after having been stranded there for five days. They were crewmen from the brig New...

1900 – The cigar business at Key West was booming. Every steamship arriving from Havana carried tobacco, and over 2,500 bales had been...

1851 – A gale commenced at Key West and blew for 30 hours. There was no damage to buildings or ships. 1869 – The bark Washington ,...

1835 – Wreckers arrived with a portion of the cargo from the schooner United States , wrecked August 7 near the New River on the...

1867 – The new submarine telegraph cable running between Key West and Havana was successfully spliced and was working well. 1921 – The...

1856 – The clipper ship Stephen R. Mallory was launched at Key West for the firm of Bowne and Curry. Shipbuilder John Bartlum used only...

1861 – A violent storm struck the Florida Keys, and many ships were wrecked from Key West to Key Largo. The British bark Argentine ,...

1832 – Key West experienced a severe gale that “continued with unabated fury” until the next morning. It was supposed many ships had...

1828 – The French brig Vigilant wrecked off Key Vaca carrying $32,000 in specie, as well as other cargo. Capt. Jacob Housman and other...

1815 – Juan Pablo Salas, a Spanish Royal Artillery Officer station in St. Augustine, was given a land grant for the island of Cayo Hueso...