1935 – The Key West Tree Guild was organized, with Wallace B. Kirke as president. The guild’s mission was “to provide a medium through which tree lovers can work and help in developing shade trees on the island.”

1957 – Someone stole $7,311.89 from the Food Fair supermarket in Key West. The money was taken from the store’s safe, which was not broken into and had instead been opened by a combination known only to a few. “We have a very limited number of suspects,” said Key West Police.

1985 - Mel Fisher and his team at Treasure Salvors, Inc., found the “mother lode” of the 1622 Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha after having searched for it for more than 15 years.

1907 – The Excavator No.1 boat was blown up and destroyed by a gasoline explosion while employed on the Florida East Coat Railroad extension. Capt. Benjamin Peacon and Sonny Parks of Key West were severely burned and brought to the island for treatment.

The Adult Crafting Corner meets Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Key West Library.

1914 – Morris Garfunkel, who had long owned the Gulf City Furniture Company in Key West, announced he would soon be leaving the island to engage in business in Detroit, Michigan.

1935 – A study by Key West’s federal administrators showed many roofs throughout the city were in poor condition, and islanders were urged to make repairs before the rainy season went into full effect. 

Mango Languages has created a parents' guide for using the free language learning app for homeschool curricula.

1956 – The Church of God at 905 Grinnell Street in Key West celebrated the arrival of their new pastor, the Reverend G.W. Fletcher Philips.

1962 – Rudy’s Bar was at 124 Duval Street, occupying the former Key West Custom House building, which had been moved to the location in 1891.

1955 – Work was underway on the new County Beach at the foot of White Street. A wall was being built into the water around the West Martello Tower, and sand would be placed on the inside to cover a rocky area. Steps would lead to the ocean from the wall for the convenience of bathers.

1917 - Ground was broken for the first Naval Air Station on Trumbo Point. The new air facility was on land rented from the Florida East Coast Railroad.

1919 – The Key West Branch of the Afro-American Independent Insurance Co. held a luncheon reception for ministers of the city at Newman Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was richly decorated with flowers and potted plants, and “the entire affair was one of the greatest events of the season.” 

1910 – The four-masted schooners Carrie A. Lowe and the Charles A. Dumas came into Key West with supplies for the Florida East Coast Railroad and the Mallory Steamship Lines. With their arrival, there were five four-masted schooners in the harbor.

The library has a wealth of books by, about and inspired by Jane Austen. We also have video adaptions of her works, a Great Courses series on her work and life and much more. We invite you to explore and have fun.

2008 – The dilapidated, Depression-era bandstand at Bayview Park in Key West was torn down. The bandstand had once been a community hub and the site of concerts, political rallies, and high school graduations.

Cell phone carriers are no longer delivering text notifications from us. If you update your notifications to email, you won't miss out on important information from us.

1974 – Fire destroyed the La Plaza grocery at 630 Fleming Street in Key West and an adjacent store and conch house at 628 and 624 Fleming. An Elizabeth Street home was damaged. The grocery building, across from the Key West Library, originally housed Pierce Bros. Hardware, established 75 years earlier.

With the Libby app, you can borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital magazines and more from the Monroe County Public Library.

Freegal Music offers unlimited, ad-free streaming and a choice of more than 18 million songs.