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August 13
1961 – Steel support beams, each 40 feet long and weighing 6,000 pounds, were placed atop the new Scottish Rite Temple at Eaton and Simonton streets in Key West to allow for another floor for the building.

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 122 min read


August 10
1964 – Bernie C. Papy, 62-year-old Key West political leader, died. He had served 14 consecutive terms in the state legislature before at last being defeated in 1962. Papy was a powerful and influential Monroe County politician, and at the height of his career was called “King of the Keys.”

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 92 min read


August 9
1950 – Thousands of fish were found in Key West streets after a heavy rain, with most along Caroline Street between William and Grinnell. One theory was that a large waterspout had carried the fish ashore, an idea supported by the fact that most of the fish were mullet which swim on the surface. Others insisted it had rained fish, and one man said he saw a full-grown sponge fall from the sky.

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 82 min read


July 22
1926 – The new issue of the Lighthouse Service Bulletin explained how drinking water was obtained for the light stations along the Florida Reef: Rainwater that fell on the painted lighthouse structures was caught and carried by gutters and pipes to 8,000-gallon storage tanks, a method that had been practiced for nearly 75 years.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 212 min read


August 13
1958 – The Civil Aeronautics Administration agreed to relinquish any federal claim to the ownership of the Marathon Airport if title was obtained by Monroe County. County commissioners ordered the process to begin.

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 12, 20252 min read
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