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August 15
1952 – Key West Police Chief Bienvenido Perez claimed to be the last surviving man of the three who buried Elena Hoyos. Hoyos’ body had earlier been exhumed by an obsessed Karl Tanzler, who lived with her body for many years before being discovered. Perez said she was buried in an unmarked grave in the Key West Cemetery, and he would never reveal its location.

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 142 min read


August 14
1933 – The wife, daughters, and grandchildren of recently deposed Cuban President Gerardo Machado arrived at Key West on the yacht Gen. Juan B. Zayas. Local officials offered them safe conduct, and a special train was arranged to take them northward.

Florida Keys History Center
Aug 132 min read


August 1
2011 – Islamorada’s Cheeca Lodge was purchased for $100 million by a subsidiary of New York-based Northwood Investors. In 2003, the property had sold for $33 million.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 312 min read


July 31
1925 – Jefferson B. Browne and George W. Reynolds of Key West sold the Jefferson Hotel on Duval Street to James Simpson and M. Karaian of New York for $75,000. The new owners planned extensive renovations for the grand old structure.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 301 min read


July 24
1865 – Dr. Samuel Mudd, Edward Spangler, Michael O'Laughlen, and Samuel Arnold – all convicted as conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln – arrived at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas to serve their prison terms. They joined 552 other prisoners being held there.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 232 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 92 min read


June 17
1930 – It was reported that 100 sharks, averaging 7 feet each, were being caught daily near Big Pine Key by boats working for the Hydenoil Company. “Not a particle of the shark is thrown away” was said of Hydenoil’s processing system, which focused on shark leather and liver oil.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 162 min read


June 7
1960 – Monroe County commissioners ordered staff to develop regulations for the development of new Keys subdivisions. Commissioner A. Maitland Adams noted, “Subdivision developers are providing only one foot of elevation in many cases; miles of canals are being dug without regard to general development.”

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 62 min read


June 3
2015 – Members of the Douglass High School Class of 1965, the last to graduate from the segregated Key West school, gathered at the Marriott Beachside Resort for a 50th reunion. “It’s always a pleasure to be among people you’ve known for years and some you haven’t seen in years,” said an attendee.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 22 min read


June 2
1958 – Over 300 members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America were holding their annual convention at Key Colony Beach. The group participated in laying the cornerstone of the new Key Colony Beach Convention Center.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 11 min read


May 20
1957 – The second mate and an oiler of the Key West-to-Havana ferry SS City of Havana were taken into custody by federal authorities at Key West on charges of smuggling aliens into the United States.

Florida Keys History Center
May 191 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 301 min read


April 25
1961 – Charles Helberg, the builder and original proprietor of the Key Wester hotel, resumed control of the resort after it had been under the charge of an absentee hotel management group for four years. Helberg said the absentee model did not serve patrons, employees, or the community very well.

Florida Keys History Center
Apr 242 min read


April 16
2010 – Owners of Key West’s Heritage House Museum announced it would close after the historic mid-19th century building at 410 Caroline St. was sold to Peter Brawn, who had been buying many of the island’s significant properties.

Florida Keys History Center
Apr 151 min read


April 1
1954 – The state Hotel Commission gave notice to the Island City House at 411 William Street that their license had been revoked.

Florida Keys History Center
Mar 312 min read


March 26
1961 – President John F. Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan met in Key West to discuss the situation in Southeast Asia.

Florida Keys History Center
Mar 252 min read


March 11
1925 – A daily silent period for the naval radio station at Key West was authorized, to end interference with local radio stations.

Florida Keys History Center
Mar 101 min read


March 1
1898 - A Naval Court of Inquiry was organized to investigate the sinking of the USS Maine, and it would meet in the Key West Custom House.

Florida Keys History Center
Mar 12 min read


February 22
1926 – A gala dance contest was held at the La Concha Hotel in Key West.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 221 min read


February 6
1907 – The City of Key West was striving to make Fleming Street on either side of Duval the “Broadway” of the city.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 52 min read
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