June 19

A postcard of the Sociedad de Cuba Cuban Club at 1108 Duval Street in Key West.

1865 – The bark Adventure arrived in Key West in distress. Four of her crew were sick with yellow fever and sent to the Marine Hospital for treatment. The fever spread to the Army troops on the island and began an epidemic that caused 331 cases with 71 deaths among the troops and an unknown number of cases among the civilian population.

1925 – Horace and Oscar Wickham and the Over Sea Company sold 126 acres on Little Torch Key for $600 an acre. The land, which was crossed by the railroad, was likely to be on the route of the new highway.

1942 – The steamship Bosilijka, sailing from New Orleans to Key West, was sunk when it accidentally sailed into the Navy’s minefield northwest of Key West.

1961 – Two small boats carrying 20 well-armed Cuban refugees landed at Marathon. The mayor of Matanzas was among the group.

1962 – The Monroe County School Board received a $600,000 commitment from the federal government toward the construction of a new junior high school in Key West. An area of privately-owned salt marsh near Bayview Park was the desired site for the new facility.

1994 – The City of Key West implemented a new “Cuban Heritage Trail” to bring awareness to the past and present contributions of Cubans to the island’s history and culture. A bilingual map and walking guide featured significant Cuban-oriented sites across the island.

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

Image: A postcard of the Sociedad de Cuba Cuban Club at 1108 Duval Street in Key West. Gift of Mrs. Virginia Castro. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.