November 13
1936 – Jim Durden, a game warden stationed in Florida Bay, reported that flamingos were being seen in the area with greater regularity. Durden thought the birds’ return was from the opening of Upper Keys railroad “fills” by the 1935 hurricane, which restored the natural flow of waters and increased their food supply.
1946 – In U.S. District Court a jury found David J. Watson guilty of the murder of Benjamin L. Hobbs aboard the destroyer USS Stribling moored in Key West on July 25, 1946. The verdict of murder in the first degree carried a mandatory death penalty.
1954 – A total of 19.8 inches of rain fell in Key West, flooding streets, cars, and homes. Damage was estimated at more than $100,000.
1956 – Monroe County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution establishing a county small claims court. They also recommended that Key West Attorney Paul Esquinaldo be named as judge of the new court, a suggestion that would require approval by the governor.
1974 – Filming for “92 in the Shade” began at the Cow Key Marina on Stock Island, with actors Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, and Margot Kidder. The movie, based on author Thomas McGuane’s novel of the same name, told a tale of rival Keys charter fishermen.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Tom McGuane, Peter Fonda, and Warren Oates filming 92 In the Shade, Cow Key Channel, November 1974. Photo by Richard Headley. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
