May 16
- Florida Keys History Center
- May 15
- 2 min read
1859 – A fire began in the L.M. Shaefer warehouse near the corner of Front and Duval streets. The fire destroyed every building in the area bounded by Front, Greene, Simonton, and Whitehead streets, minus two houses.
1931 – Key West firemen Charles Albury, Milton Roberts, Louis Maloney, and Oscar Cruz left to represent the island at the Firemen’s Convention in Jacksonville. This was the same team that won the gold cup for the second time a year earlier.
1938 – Domingo Rosillo, aviator of Cuba, who gained fame as the first man to fly from Key West to Havana, arrived at Key West to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his pioneering flight.
1944 – Florida’s Governor Spessard L. Holland dedicated the new Overseas Highway. The new highway used the former railroad right-of-way and bridges to make a modern road on the Keys.
1956 – A group of 21 light airplanes, all flown by women, left Marathon Airport on the last leg of a 1,526-mile race from Canada to Cuba.
1962 – At a special meeting of the Monroe County Commission, Commissioner William Osterhoudt made a plea for a County Housing Authority, so federal funds could be acquired to help with what he called “an unbelievable situation in Marathon,” referring to a blighted neighborhood there known as “The Rock.”
1976 – The Singleton Corporation announced they had bought Sea Farms, Inc. and the Thompson & O’Neal Shrimp Company. The purchase included most of the waterfront of Key West Bight.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Sea Farms Seafood Market, 231 Margaret St., opposite Sqr 20, ca. 1970. Photo taken by the Monroe County Property Appraiser's office. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
