April 18

A cockfight in the Florida Keys.

1856 – A writer at Key West said, “The wind being light from the south, the report of guns, fired without doubt at Havana, was distinctly heard throughout the island; the distance traveled by the sound could not be less than 90 miles.”

1889 – The Spanish newspaper El Yara started publishing daily in Key West. The paper was established in 1878 and was the official organ of the Cuban revolutionary clubs. J.D. Poyo was editor and proprietor and F. Ibern was business manager. The office was at 210 Duval Street and subscription was $10 per year.

1926 – Monroe County Sheriff Roland Curry arrested the promoter of a Stock Island cockfighting arena while a fight was underway. Fala Rodriguez was charged with cruelty to animals and placed under $100 bond.

1943 – Fifty-six men who had been rescued by the U.S. Navy from a merchant ship torpedoed in the Caribbean were brought to Key West. They were being cared for at the Naval Receiving Station.

1982 – The U.S. Border Patrol established a roadblock at Florida City and began checking everyone leaving the Florida Keys for citizenship causing a traffic jam extending 15 miles. The Border Patrol had received information that illegal aliens were entering the country from the Keys.

1982 – Final approval by the state Legislature assured that Indian Key would become a state historic site.

2006 – Key West city commissioners passed a resolution to remove an estimated 3,000 feral chickens from all city property and rights-of-way, as well as private property when requested. The measure, which met with strong opposition from chicken afficionados, was prompted by fears about bird flu.

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

Image: A cockfight in the Florida Keys. Dewey Riggs Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.