April 17

model radiation shelter, designed to protect from nuclear explosion and fallout, at Neisner's store, Key West, ca. 1960.

1884 – The Key West Gas and Electric Light Company was incorporated with J.J. Philbrick, president; R.A. Monsalvatge, secretary and J. Fogarty, treasurer. The electric plant cost $90,000 and had a capacity of 2,000 incandescent lights and 50 arc lights.

1949 – The new Monroe County Beach (now Higgs Beach) was dedicated. Judge Thomas S. Caro spoke, and Frank Bentley, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, made the formal dedication. The County had issued a $350,000 construction bond for the new beach.

1952 – Over 200 campaign signs for a Key West candidate for state office had been destroyed by vandals in recent days.

1958 – Mrs. Amelia Cabot, a teacher at Truman School, was named the outstanding elementary school teacher in Florida. Mrs. Cabot had been a teacher at the school for 25 years.

1959 – A simulated nuclear bomb drop was the central feature of Civil Defense exercises in Key West. After the “explosion,” radio stations went silent and were replaced by the CONELRAD (CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation) emergency broadcasting system. The Weather Bureau’s “radiation fallout forecasting station” then announced expected levels of radiation for the area.

1961 – A fire in the “pine woods” of Big Pine Key prompted a truck from Key West’s Fire Station No. 2 at Poinciana to go up and battle the blaze. After 6 hours and over 1,000 gallons of water, it was brought under control.

Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.

Image: A model radiation shelter, designed to protect from nuclear explosion and fallout, at Neisner's store, Key West, ca. 1960. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.