May 25

Two Navy blimps at their moorings on Boca Chica, 1950s.

1857 – The schooner Ottawa of Portland arrived in distress at Key West after having grounded on the reefs of Cuba. The schooner was put on the ways to repair the damage and for the application of new caulk and paint.

1893 – The U.S. Marshal sold the wrecked brig Acadia as it lay on Bird Key in the Dry Tortugas. Key Wester Henry Williams paid a combined $345 for the hull, cargo, and spars.

1938 – The Red Cross was erecting three first aid stations along the Overseas Highway at Craig Key, Marathon, and Ramrod Key. A trained attendant would be on duty at each station at all times.

1954 – The Navy blimp ZPG-2, the world’s largest at 342 feet long, landed at Boca Chica Naval Air Station after being aloft for more than 200 hours without refueling – a new record. It had traveled from New Jersey and through the Caribbean before landing.

1967 – The Navy announced that Truman Beach in Key West was permanently closed, and all the facilities had been moved to the Beach Patio area. The beach was closed because recent harbor dredging had carried away most of the sand, making the area dangerous.

1986 – Key Westers participated in the national “Hands Across America” observance by forming a line of people joined hand-to-hand along the length of Duval Street, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The event was also a fundraiser to combat hunger in the U.S.

1994 – The Key West High School Library was named for Mary B. Trevor, who spent 31 years as head librarian.

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

Image: Two Navy blimps at their moorings on Boca Chica, 1950s. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.