June 14

Logun's Lobster House 1420 Simonton Street, Key West, 1970s.

1864 – A military order arrived for Key West and the Dry Tortugas: All prisoners held for desertion were dismissed from public service. They were to instead be held as citizen prisoners of war until their sentences expired, be dishonorably discharged, and have all their pay forfeited.

1935 – Due to a water shortage on the island, nearly 50 “public places” in Key West agreed to serve nothing but boiled water or sterilized water to their patrons to help prevent an outbreak of typhoid fever.

1950 – The first of eight jet trainers landed at the Naval Air Station, Key West. The planes assigned to FAWTULANT were the first jets to be based at Key West.

1954 – Key West City Commissioners gave Al Logun, owner of Logun’s Lobster House at the south end of Simonton Street, approval to extend the street 100 feet into the ocean. The extension would alleviate a crowded parking situation and provide visitors with a better view of the water. 

1955 – Key West Police asked teenage boys to stop congregating around and leaning on cars parked along Duval Street. Many of the youth were wearing a type of pants called “jeans,” which had metal rivets on the pockets and could scratch the car’s paint.

1961 – A new lookout tower atop the citadel of Key West’s East Martello Tower was opened for public use. The high platform with a guard rail offered a superb view of the surrounding area and was an “excellent vantage point for sightseers and camera fans.”

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

Image: Logun's Lobster House 1420 Simonton Street, Key West, 1970s. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.