August 27
- Florida Keys History Center
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
1941 – The Key West Public Library opened at its new location in the Hellings Building, 319 Duval St., home of the Key West Woman’s Club. The library had been closed since its former site at 1021 Duval was taken over by the United Services Organization.
1946 – After receiving many complaints from the public, Key West Director of Public Safety Roy Hamlin announced that the selling of liquor on Sundays would be stopped. There was suspicion that violators were paying “protection” fees for authorities to turn a blind eye to the illegal sales, and Hamlin said that, too, would end.
1956 – Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies and the Florida Highway Patrol were cracking down on speeders along the Overseas Highway. Of particular concern was an increase in accidents by vehicles that came upon Mosquito Control spray trucks too quickly, and drivers who fell asleep at the wheel.
1966 – Captain Peter S. Knight, a Key West native, was killed in action in Vietnam. Captain Knight graduated from Key West High School and the University of Florida.
1971 – The abandoned lighthouse at the entrance to the Northwest Channel, frequently rumored to have been used by Ernest Hemingway, was destroyed by fire.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: A Florida Highway Patrolman with his car in the Florida Keys, ca. 1950. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
