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January 19
1924 – Key West’s Stephen R. Mallory Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, unveiled a monument in Bayview Park dedicated to those who served in the Confederate Army and Navy.

Florida Keys History Center
5d2 min read


January 3
1949 – The Key West City Commission granted a lease to the Key West Charter Boatmen’s Association for a portion of Garrison Bight facing North Roosevelt Boulevard.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 22 min read


December 23
1891 – José Martí, the leading Cuban independence advocate, arrived at Key West from Tampa for his first visit to the island. He rallied Key West’s Cuban exile community to support the overthrow of Spanish rule over their island nation.

Florida Keys History Center
Dec 22, 20251 min read


December 17
1985 – The new Seven Mile Bridge and the Long Key Bridge, both completed in 1982, were suffering from structural problems. Guardrails on the Seven Mile Bridge were spalling, and elements of the underside were deteriorating. Issues with the Long Key Bridge required that a model of it be built in Tallahassee so engineers could conduct stress tests.

Florida Keys History Center
Dec 16, 20252 min read


November 11
2015 – After a year of construction, the new Vietnam Living Memorial in Key West’s Bayview Park was unveiled. Hundreds attended the event, many of them veterans, along with their families and supporters.

Florida Keys History Center
Nov 10, 20252 min read


November 10
1975 – According to a count by Hank Kokenzie, Director of Veterans Affairs for Monroe County, there were approximately 12,000 U.S. military veterans residing in the Keys.

Florida Keys History Center
Nov 9, 20252 min read


October 2
1951 – The City Planning Board approved a zoning change for Dairy Queen to build an ice cream store on United Street near White Street.

Florida Keys History Center
Oct 1, 20252 min read


September 15
1956 – James A. Portier of 110 Olivia Street in Key West returned home after playing his third season with the Negro League’s Indianapolis Clowns. Portier was a member of the league’s East-West All Stars, and he hoped to try out with the Kansas City A’s organization.

Florida Keys History Center
Sep 14, 20252 min read


July 10
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.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 9, 20252 min read


May 1
2000 – The Florida Department of Community Affairs awarded Key West an additional 54 units of affordable housing under the Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) because the city had preserved the Berg property, an unaltered beachfront area and home to many species of indigenous Keys plants and animals.

Florida Keys History Center
Apr 30, 20251 min read


April 18
1951 – A new concrete tennis court was opened at Key West’s Bayview Park, complementing two existing asphalt courts.

Florida Keys History Center
Apr 17, 20251 min read


March 10
1852 – The Carysfort Reef Lighthouse was lighted and began operation.

Florida Keys History Center
Mar 9, 20251 min read


February 24
1940 – Key Wester William W. Demeritt was commissioned a Captain in the Coast Guard.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 23, 20252 min read
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