February 16

The Long Key Fishing Camp and Dining Hall.

1931 – The portion of the Overseas Highway on Key Vaca opened. Cars could travel by road to No Name Key then by ferry to Key Vacas then by road to Grassy Key where the ferry would go to Lower Matecumbe Key then to the Mainland via the Card Sound bridge.

1935 – The Long Key Fishing Camp was hosting its largest group of anglers in five years. Over the previous week nineteen sailfish had been caught from there, and new records for many other species were recorded.

1936 – Key West’s Nelson English Park was dedicated. The main speaker was Alex Johnson, and the Welters Cornet Band provided music for the ceremony. The park was named for Nelson English, the island’s first African American Postmaster.

1963 – Fire destroyed William Curry Sons building on Front Street. The giant two-story frame building was considered a priceless historical landmark that had been built after the Great Fire of 1886.

1975 – The January shrimp numbers came in for Monroe County, and they showed the catch was down 600,000 pounds, or 41 percent, compared to January 1974. Prices were down, too - 12 percent over the year.

1998 – Key West was looking at a proposed law to phase out short term rentals over the next four years, except in gated communities and some downtown neighborhoods.

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

Image: The Long Key Fishing Camp and Dining Hall. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.