July 10
- Florida Keys History Center
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
1847 – Six enslaved men who had been put to work on the construction of Fort Jefferson escaped on a schooner from the Dry Tortugas and attempted to sail to the Bahamas to find freedom. The six were located and captured near Indian Key by Key West wreckers who filed a salvage claim on their value.
1924 – “La Concha” was chosen as the name for the new hotel at the corner of Duval and Fleming streets in Key West. Mr. G.L. Miller of the Miller Bonding Company, sponsor of the contest to name the building, made the decision and awarded a $100 bond to Louis T. Bragassa, Deputy Collector of Customs at Key West, for submitting the winning moniker.
1956 – The Monroe County School District had hired 70 new teachers for the upcoming school year, but with a shortage of housing in the area, the Chamber of Commerce put out a call for any available apartments, houses, or rooms to accommodate the new instructors.
1975 – Monroe County commissioners were advised that they could save money by not paying for a nighttime tender at the Boot Key Bridge and instead just leave the span in the up position all night. They nixed the idea, citing the need for fire control and access to the island’s WFFG radio station.
1993 – A barracuda leaped into a boat off Islamorada, knocking a 46-year-old Tampa woman to the deck and then biting her. The woman was rushed to Mariners Hospital in Key Largo and received over 200 stitches to close her wounds.
2008 – The dilapidated, Depression-era bandstand at Bayview Park in Key West was torn down. The bandstand had once been a community hub and the site of concerts, political rallies, and high school graduations.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Bayview Park bandstand 1400 Truman Ave, Key West, ca. 1965; razed 2008. Photo taken by the Monroe County Property Appraiser's office. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
