December 25
- Florida Keys History Center
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
1830 – Joseph Beverly Browne arrived at Key West from his native Virginia. He would become a member of the St. Joseph convention that wrote the first constitution for the State of Florida in 1838. He also served as U.S. Marshal, Clerk of the U.S. Court, a member of the Florida legislature, and postmaster and Mayor of Key West.
1832 – Father Sanson K. Brunot held the first Episcopal services in the young city of Key West and the first organized church services on the island.
1912 – The Salvation Army provided more than 300 Christmas dinner baskets to the poor of Key West.
1914 – Many former Key West residents took advantage of special holiday travel fares offered by the steamships and the train to return to the island from Cuba and the mainland to visit family and friends.
1925 – In a show of Christmas kindness, Mayor Leslie Curry ordered Key West City Jailor Joseph Kemp to release all prisoners who were serving time for minor offenses. Most of those he let go were being held on charges of drunkenness.
1933 – The Manhattan Cafe at 803 Duval Street in Key West was offering a Christmas dinner of turkey and dressing with all the trimmings for 65 cents.
1955 – The home of Angel Delgado at 1010 Washington Street was chosen as having the best display in the Key West Junior Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas lighting contest. The home of Everett Hall at 3 Hibiscus Lane placed second.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: A Christmas display at Trumbo Annex, Key West, 1962. Photo by John Rieth. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.