July 2
- Florida Keys History Center
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
1884 – A plant for manufacturing gas from coal for street lighting and home use was completed on Emma Street in Key West.
1926 – The British steamer Queen of Nassau sank in 235 feet of water south of Lower Matecumbe Key while traveling from Miami to Tampa. The vessel was originally launched in 1904 as the Canadian coastal patrol ship HMCS Canada, and it later served in WWI. It is considered the nucleus of the Canadian Navy. The wreck was discovered in 2001.
1938 – The grand opening of the new Overseas Highway was held on the Bahia Honda Bridge. The new highway used converted former railroad bridges to eliminate the need for auto ferries.
1942 – The merchant vessel Edward Luckenbach was sunk when it strayed into the U.S. Navy minefield north of Key West. The Luckenbach was sailing from Kingston, Jamaica, for New Orleans with a cargo of tungsten, zinc, antimony, and tin. One man was killed in the accident.
1966 – Henry Werner, a former Phoenix, Arizona, car dealer, opened the Esquire Lounge in Key West’s Sears Town. The bar could seat 45 patrons and was the largest on the island; table seating could accommodate another 35. An associated package store was next door.
1969 – The new Card Sound Bridge was opened. The bridge was built with $2.1 million in bond money to be repaid with tolls.
1976 – The Key West Comparsa dancers and musicians left for St. Augustine to participate in the “Florida on Parade” Bicentennial celebration. They also planned to perform in the island’s Bicentennial parade on July 5, after their return.
1985 – The queen conch (Strombus gigas), the symbol of the Florida Keys, was declared an endangered species.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Key West comparsa dancers on Duval Street. Photo used in the Miami Herald on June 29, 1976. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
