1946 – Marathon was growing rapidly: Tourist accommodations were fully booked for the upcoming season, and “draglines, graders, rollers, bulldozers, and trucks were busy clearing ground for further development.”

1936 – The U.S. Coast Guard cable ship Pequot completed the laying of 23,000 feet of communication cable from Alligator Reef Lighthouse to Lower Matecumbe Key. An earlier cable had been destroyed in the hurricane of September 1935, and the lighthouse had been cut off since then.

1980 – A task force of Key West business leaders was formed to combat the perception that Cuban refugees from the Mariel boatlift had overwhelmed the island. Merchants reported that business was down between 25 and 50 per cent compared to the previous year.

1976 – A new cupola for a community clock was placed atop the restored tower at Key West’s Old City Hall on Greene St. The design was faithful to the building’s original 1892 construction.

1911 – The 1910 U.S. census showed Key West had a population of 19,945. This was a significant increase from the 17,114 residents counted in 1900.

1975 – The City of Key West was awarded a federal grant of $201,000 for its “Downtown ’76” restoration and redevelopment project. The funds would be used to make improvements along Duval Street in time for the nation’s Bicentennial observance.

1975 – A representative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development met the mayor of Key West and toured Duval Street with him.