January 24

Elks Club Bar 315 Duval Street, 1940s.

1898 – The U.S. Navy battleship Maine, anchored off the Dry Tortugas, was ordered to sail to Havana.

1912 – Henry Flagler left on his special train at 6:22 a.m., ending his visit for the opening of the Overseas Railroad. It was his last time in Key West.

1941 – Key West police were investigating the possible poisoning of two Key West women at a Duval Street bar after one drank a soft drink and the other a beer: both then becoming violently ill. Samples from the women’s stomachs were taken at the Marine Hospital for analysis. No results were reported.

1948 – Sally Rand, internationally known fan dancer, appeared at the dance and casino benefit for the March of Dimes sponsored by the American Legion’s Arthur Sawyer Post. Rand was a part-time resident of Key West.

1953 – The cornerstone for the Key West Yacht Club was laid by Charles S. Taylor, commodore of the club.

1973 – Actor Burl Ives was in Key West filming a TV documentary about playwright Tennessee Williams.

2006 – The City of Marathon was working on a master plan to set the course of its redevelopment, with the leading goal of becoming a family destination distinct from Key West. Many residents felt that being the “Mayberry of the tropics” was a desirable vision. 

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

Image: Elks Club Bar 315 Duval Street, 1940s. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.