1935 – The ferry Florida Keys left No Name Key at 8 a.m., and two hours later the ferry Key West departed Lower Matecumbe Key, both resuming regular service for the Overseas Highway for the first time since the destruction of the Labor Day Hurricane.

1960 – After five years of service, the Key West-Havana ferry made its final crossing from Cuba. The official reason for the suspension of service was a lack of patrons, but it also came as tensions were increasing between the U.S. and Fidel Castro’s new government.  

1960 – A team of “petroleum technicians, tool pushers, drillers, and roughnecks” from the California Company arrived in Key West to begin drilling four 6,000-foot test wells near the Dry Tortugas and Rebecca Shoals.

2004 – The State of Florida agreed to buy the Harris School on Southard Street in Key West under its “Florida Forever” program. The plan was to lease the historic property to the Rodel Foundation and The Studios of Key West as an art colony, with Rodel agreeing to restore the building. The Monroe County School District had not decided whether to accept the offer.

1975 – Treasure hunter Mel Fisher announced he had purchased Brito’s Boat Yard at 629 Front Street in Key West. He planned to recreate a “pirate village” from 300 years ago on the property, with his replica galleon alongside. There would also be an artifact preservation facility, gold and silversmith shops, and a cocktail lounge.

1935 – W.P. Craig announced he was building a wooden dock at the settlement of Craig, located on the railroad right-of-way between Lower Matecumbe Key and Long Key. The bayside structure was to extend out 73 feet and end in a 209-foot-long T-head.

The Islamorada Library branch will be closed for approximately five weeks, starting Sept. 15, for extensive interior repairs.

1999 – Key West Police planned to crack down on nudity during the weekend’s Fantasy Fest celebrations, noting that “even opaque body paint is not a substitute for clothing.” They planned to use a “firm tolerance” technique and ask nude revelers to cover up before arresting them.

2015 – Keys Energy offered the City of Key West its abandoned diesel generator plant, a three-building complex bounded by Angela, Fort, and Geraldine streets. City officials were pleased by the offer, but acceptance of the 100+-year-old “as is” property would ultimately be decided by voters.

1925 – The Norwegian steamship Capto arrived in Key West via the Panama Canal to discharge a cargo of 5 million feet of lumber from British Columbia. It was one of the largest lumber shipments in island history.

1935 – The Commandant’s residence on the Naval Station in Key West was being refurbished and refurnished in readiness for occupancy by visitors from Washington. Among those anticipated to be staying in the residence was Marvin McIntyre, secretary to President Roosevelt.

2010 – After multiple chicken poisonings in Key West and Stock Island over previous days, Lower Keys wildlife organizations were worried about not only the brazenly illegal acts, but also the effects that poisoned feed and tainted carcasses would have on other animals.

The second Key West BookFest will be held from 10 am- 1 pm on Saturday, November 15.

1962 – As tensions with Cuba increased, the FAA constructed a temporary control tower at Key West International Airport overnight. In addition, many military personnel arrived over the weekend.

1993 – Renowned author James Leo Herlihy died in California. Herlihy had lived in Key West from 1956 to 1972 and was an integral part of the island’s then-burgeoning literary community. Two of his best-known books, both made into movies, were “Midnight Cowboy” and “All Fall Down.”

1901 – City of Key West officials were looking for a new cemetery site, as the existing cemetery was crowded and there was not much room for new burials. It was thought any new location should be some distance from town for sanitary reasons.

1995 – The dilapidated structure of Key West’s famed Turtle Kraals Soup Cannery collapsed into the waters of the Key West Bight. The city rebuilt the building, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

1975 – City of Key West officials met with members of the Old Island Restoration Commission, and all agreed to an ordinance that would give the OIRC jurisdiction over the construction, repair, or alteration of structures in the city’s historic district.

1985 – The Old Island Restoration Commission approved plans for the conversion of Key West’s De Poo Hospital at 918 Southard Street to Southard Square Condominiums. The redevelopment would blend the existing structures and new construction.

We show movies in the Community Room at 5 pm on the third Wednesday of each month. Join us!