December 31

A Richard Jansen watercolor of a Florida Keys scene made under sponsorship of the WPA.

1899 – J. Vining Harris held an open house in his new home at the ocean end of Duval Street. The house was almost complete, and the family was expected to move in soon.

1920 – The Casa Marina Hotel opened to guests for its first season. It was owned by the Florida East Coast Hotel Company, part of the Flagler System that also owned the Florida East Coast Railroad.

1931 – The USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” the oldest ship in the Navy, was welcomed to Key West by a crowd of more than 600, who witnessed her moor at Porter Docks. Captain R.T. Menner, Commander of the Naval Base and Mayor Leslie A. Curry welcomed the ship and crew to the city.

1935 – A set of four murals painted by Works Progress Administration artist Richard Jansen were displayed for the first time at the Key West Country Club New Year’s Eve ball. The murals, considered to be his best Key West works, depicted aspects of semi-tropical life.

1942 – The Key West Marine Hospital on the Naval Station closed. The hospital had opened in 1845, primarily for the treatment of merchant marine sailors, and it was run by the U.S. Public Health Service. During the Civil War, the Naval Hospital was in the same building. After WWI, it also served as a veteran’s hospital.

1955 – In an overnight break-in, thieves pried and blasted open a safe and stole $12,000 in cash and blank money orders from Key West’s Duval Sundry Store at the corner of Duval and Angela streets. It was one of the largest burglaries on the island in many years.

1985 – Descendants of William Curry, Key West’s first millionaire, were planning to sell a solid gold tea service that had been custom-made for him in 1880 by the Tiffany company. The valuable gold set had been on display in the Southeast Bank lobby for 30 years, and many islanders wanted it to remain there.

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

Image: A Richard Jansen watercolor of a Florida Keys scene made under sponsorship of the WPA. Postcard from the Otto Hirzel Scrapbook, DeWolfe and Wood Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.