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.

1959 – A simulated nuclear bomb drop was the central feature of Civil Defense exercises in Key West.

2010 – The Friends of Higgs Beach, an ad hoc citizens’ group, was working with Monroe County to improve the Key West beachfront park.