July 31

The Jefferson Hotel in the 100 block of Duval Street, ca. 1910.

1911 – The Key West City Council approved a contract to pave some of the city streets with Baltimore Bricks.

1925 – Jefferson B. Browne and George W. Reynolds of Key West sold the Jefferson Hotel on Duval Street to James Simpson and M. Karaian of New York for $75,000. The new owners planned extensive renovations for the grand old structure.

1945 – J. Roland Adams reported that the federal government’s wonder chemical, DDT, had been used against the mosquitoes with marvelous results. He reported that within 10 minutes of spraying, vast swarms of flies and mosquitoes disappeared.

1946 – Augustin Parla, aviation pioneer who made the second flight from Key West to Cuba, died by suicide in Havana.

1961 – Off-duty Key West Fireman George Koehn was killed when the car he was driving slammed into the concrete Western Union cable hut at the intersection of Whitehead and South streets. Koehn’s speedometer, which was stuck in place after the accident, showed he was traveling at nearly 80 miles per hour upon impact.

1979 – The Monroe County Commission approved building the TV Translator System to provide free broadcast television throughout the entire county.

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

Image: The Jefferson Hotel in the 100 block of Duval Street, ca. 1910. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.