August 29

Ca. 1950 aerial view of Key West looking east toward George and First Streets, Garrison Bight, and North Roosevelt. Seminary and South streets to lower left.

1862 – Col. Joseph Morgan of the U.S. Army at Key West issued an opinion that the slaves of persons who had fled the island were considered abandoned, and no one else could act as a substitute agent and receive money from their employment.

1864 – John Whitehead died in New York. He had been a partner of John Simonton, John Fleming and Pardon Greene as the first American owners of Key West.

1947 – The Key West Chamber of Commerce was soliciting the opinions of the Marathon and the Upper Keys Chambers of Commerce regarding zoning restrictions along the Overseas Highway “that would raise the quality of construction along the highway so as to attract a higher type of tourists.”

1951 – Developer Joe Sirugo agreed to sell 3,500 cubic yards of marl to the City of Key West. It would help satisfy the city’s need of 10,000 yards of marl to fill United Street between Leon and George streets and to fill George Street along the site of the new city housing project.

1955 – T.T. Thompson, founder of The Key West Citizen, died in Miami at the age of 79. Thompson sold the paper in 1921 to L.P. Artman.

1965 – Senator George Smathers was the main speaker at Monroe Junior College on Fort Street in Key West.

1975 – Under the newly-signed federal Voting Rights Act, Monroe County, with a 12.5% Spanish language minority, would have to begin printing ballots in Spanish as well as English. Additionally, any changes to the county’s voting procedures would require federal approval.

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

Image: Ca. 1950 aerial view of Key West looking east toward George and First Streets, Garrison Bight, and North Roosevelt. Seminary and South streets to lower left. Jeff Brodhead Collection, gift of Sharon Wells. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.