February 4
- Florida Keys History Center
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
1833 – The Florida Territorial Council issued a charter for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, making it the first formal religious organization on Key West.
1895 – Gonzales Quesada, secretary of the Cuban Revolutionary Party in the United States, spoke at Key West’s San Carlos Hall about the anti-Spanish movement and “stirred the [island’s] Cubans to patriotic enthusiasm.”
1908 – The first train fully equipped for carrying passengers over the Overseas Railroad left Miami for Knights Key at 11 a.m. The train, consisting of six coaches and Henry Flagler’s private car, was an official excursion and no tickets were sold for the journey.
1936 – Local fishermen were amazed when Ernest Hemingway’s yacht Pilar came into Key West flying four sailfish flags. Hemingway and his friend Harry Sylvester caught the four sailfish, as well as six dolphin, five bonito, five kingfish, four barracuda, three mackerel, and three grouper.
1941 – In a special election, the freeholders of Monroe County voted 493 to 12 to approve a bond of $40,000 to build a county airport at Boca Chica. Only 90 eligible voters failed to appear at the polls.
1954 – The Navy’s two smallest submarines, the USS Mackerel (SST-1) and USS Marlin (SST-2), were assigned to Key West. The 250-ton submarines were used for training in antisubmarine warfare for surface ships and aircraft.
1961 – The groundbreaking for a new St. James Baptist Church building was held at the corner of Olivia Street and Terry Lane in Key West. The first church was built in 1876 and rebuilt in 1913.
2008 – The Marathon City Council voted against a proposal to allow dogs in outside dining areas. Mayor Pete Worthington was the swing vote, and he voted “no” because the measure discriminated against birds, cats, and other pets.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: A postcard of the Florida East Coast Railway wharf and a train at Knights Key. The postcard was mailed from Knights Key on July 20, 1909. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
