1831 – After Edward Glover, lightkeeper at the Dry Tortugas, filed a salvage claim on a brig wrecked at those islands, Key West Judge James Webb purposefully awarded him a low amount. Webb’s opinion noted the “impolicy of placing temptations within the reach of Light House Keepers” who might insufficiently perform their duties so resulting wrecked ships would improve their financial gain.

1966 – The rooming house at 411 William Street in Key West had been condemned and owner Reva Koch and her tenants ordered out of the deteriorated structure. Koch had been granted an extension to make repairs but had taken no action towards doing so.

1976 – Despite torrential rains and a flooded parade ground, a ceremony was held inside Fort Taylor to transfer the 19th century brick fortification and its surrounding lands from federal ownership to the Florida State Parks Department. U.S. Rep. Dante Fascell was the featured speaker and President Zachary Taylor’s great-great-granddaughter was in attendance.

1910 – A large angel made of Italian marble and set on a base of Vermont granite was erected in the Key West Cemetery to the memory of 17-year-old Gladys J. Bates, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W.L. Bates.

1988 – Pritam Singh held a ground-breaking ceremony to begin construction on the ambitious redevelopment of Truman Annex in Key West.

1995 – Fire destroyed the Copa nightclub and adjoining buildings in the 600 block of Duval Street. It was the worst fire in Key West in 72 years.

1966 – A glut of frozen stock left over from the previous season’s catch drove down the price of Florida Keys spiny lobster to 37 cents per pound on the opening day of the new season. Many crawfishermen threatened to hold off fishing until prices rose.

1936 – Tarpon fishing was becoming increasingly popular in the Keys, and many were being caught around Key West. Two of the more notable catches during the past 10 days were both over 6 feet long, each weighing more than 100 pounds.

2011 – After much discussion over a development agreement, the Spottswood Cos. announced they would be redeveloping the Faro Blanco property in Marathon as a resort and marina. The resort would have 106 units, including 14 for workforce housing, and the marina would have 100 slips bayside and 100 slips oceanside.

1991 – Monroe County staff and nearly 100 volunteers collected more than 100 tons of garbage during the “Great Stock Island Clean-up.” The island had long been plagued by illegal dumping.

1976 – Senator Lawton Chiles and Representative Dante Fascell reassured local officials that the Key West Post Office would remain an independent facility and retain its own postmark. Rumors had been spreading that Key West was slated to become a branch of the Miami Post Office.

1964 – “Escape From Hell Island,” a Key West-made and locally backed movie, had its world premiere at the San Carlos. The film received less than glowing reviews..

1956 – The members of the First Baptist Church in Key West voted to build a new church building at their property on the corner of Eaton and Bahama streets, after the previous structure had been destroyed by fire a month earlier.

1936 – Norberg Thompson’s Overseas Transportation Company was awarded a contract to truck mail to and from Key West on an everyday basis, providing the island with daily mail service.

1982 – Suwa, a male dolphin owned by Little Torch Key resident Betty Brothers and kept on her property, attacked a man after he entered the private lagoon to swim with the creature. Suwa rammed the man six times, causing severe liver lacerations and the rupture of a “major” vein in his stomach.

1872 – A correspondent wrote of Key West, “At the wharves you see the ugly hulls of wrecked vessels, which were formerly the main objects of trade in Key West. But this gloomy business is falling off every day. The few years of ocean steam navigation is curtailing that of sailing vessels, and the wreckers complain of dull times.”

1960 – The formal grand opening of Bevis-Lewis Chevrolet was held in Key West. The all-in-one sales and service center for new and used cars was located at 3500 North Roosevelt Boulevard.

1960 – After the lack of a rear exit forced firemen to break through the roof of a burning Duval Street store to fight the blaze, Key West Fire Chief Charles Cremata was conducting “fine-tooth comb” inspections all buildings on Duval to ensure they had proper exits and fire escapes.

1959 – Jose Oropeza was the owner of the Square Deal Market at 829 Simonton Street.

1926 – Eduardo H. Gato, Key West’s leading cigar manufacturer, died in Havana. He was born in Cuba in 1847 and came to Key West in 1874. His factory employed more than 500 workers. His last factory on Simonton Street still stands and is now used for Monroe County government offices.