December 22

A postcard of a Greyhound Bus on the Seven Mile Bridge, 1950s.

1899 – The last epidemic of yellow fever that was to strike Key West ended with the cool winter weather. During the outbreak there had been 1,320 cases of fever reported and 68 deaths. Dr. J.Y. Porter, state health officer, estimated that the total cases may have been near 4,000, since a lot of families treated patients at home and never called a doctor.

1917 – The first planes flew from the new Naval Air Station built on land rented from the railroad yard on Trumbo Point. Two planes made a test flight over the city.

1955 – Florida Greyhound buses resumed service after a drivers’ strike. Airlines, and even cab drivers, had been able to get some travelers from Key West to Miami, but there was particular concern in the Keys that Navy personnel would not have been able to travel for the holidays.

1957 – Drifter Billie Watkins Moody was charged with setting the fire that destroyed the First Baptist Church on April 2, 1956. He also admitted to setting other fires across the country.

1960 – The Monroe County Audubon Society began its annual Christmas bird census in Marathon. Birds in the Lower Keys would be counted the following day, and those in Key West the day after that. The census provided data to understand bird populations and migration patterns.

1976 – A secret report on biological warfare that that was made public by the Army revealed that Key West was used for simulated biological warfare attacks during the 1950’s and 60’s. One of the substances used was “serrata marcescens” which can cause a rare type of pneumonia.

1985 – Monroe County commissioners agreed to purchase an official Monroe County camera for use at their meetings. Mayor Wilhelmina Harvey felt there were many important events at the meetings that deserved to be recorded on film.

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

Image: A postcard of a Greyhound Bus on the Seven Mile Bridge, 1950s. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.