1860 – The USS Crusader arrived at Key West with the captured slave ship Bogota . Bogota’s 411 Africans were turned over to U.S....

1823 – The Colombian armed schooner La Centella arrived at Key West while on a cruise against Spain during Colombia’s war of...

1828 – After six years of dispute with other claimants of the island, John W. Simonton was declared Key West’s legal owner. Simonton had...

1823 – The U.S. Navy steamer Sea Gull , the storeship Decoy , and the schooners Greyhound and Jackall were at Key West, with the...

1847 – The ship General Jackson , sailing from New York to New Orleans, went ashore on a reef 15 miles from Key West. The ship bilged...

1890 – Health officials deemed yellow fever endemic to Key West, with the principal causes of this condition being the many “closets” on...

1861 – Judge McQueen McIntosh, who had been appointed District Court judge by the Confederate States, arrived in Key West to hold court....

1848 – During a voyage from Key West to Boston, the crew of the bark Zangari discovered a stowaway slave onboard. A passing...

1861 – Key West Mayor John P. Baldwin was removed from office when Florida officials were removed because of secession. 1893 – It was...

1859 – A fire began in the warehouse of L.M. Shaefer near the corner of Front and Duval streets. Apart from two houses, the fire...

1843 – There were three wrecks on the reefs near Key West: the Russian bark Harlampy , carrying 1,818 boxes of white Havana sugar and...

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

1835 – The new pilot schooner Caroline was at Charleston, bound for Key West. The schooner belonged to Oliver O’Hara and was a gift...

1898 – Four sailors were killed when the USS Winslow was hit by Spanish gunfire in a battle at Cardenas, Cuba. They were buried in the...

1888 – A “Cuban bob white,” or quail, was seen at Key West, the first known occurrence of the bird on the island. 1929 – Florida Motor...

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1861 – President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeus corpus at Key West and the Dry Tortugas. Any person considered dangerous...

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

1850 – Key West Wreckers were trying to save the Belgian brig Havana Packet , which had gone ashore near Caesar’s Creek, North Key...

An 1860 letter in the FKHC collection is a firsthand account of the conditions of survivors from a captured slave ship.