November 7
- Florida Keys History Center
- Nov 6
- 2 min read
1898 – A Catholic missionary in Key West wrote, “There is not a town in the South where there have been so many apostasies.”
1940 – After selections were made from the first list of U.S. draft registrants, it was announced that 52 Army inductees would be sent to Key West and stationed at the barracks for training and to help “speed up” WPA projects on the island.
1950 – Residents of Monroe County overwhelmingly voted for an Anti-Mosquito district. The vote was 1,781 to 170 for the special tax.
1955 – New Jersey industrialist Stanley Switlik presented the Monroe County School Board with 30 acres of land along Marathon Beach Road for the site of a new Marathon High School. Much of the ground was wetlands that would require filling before construction of the school could begin.
1975 – The master of the Liberia-flagged tanker Garbis was arrested in Philadelphia after it was determined his ship had dumped 50,000 gallons of crude oil south of Key West in July. The oil blackened beaches from Marathon to the Dry Tortugas, requiring a six-week cleanup.
1978 – George Dolezal was elected to the Monroe County Commission, the first Republican elected to a county office in 90 years.
1985 – Key West City Commissioner Joe Balbontin claimed he was offered a substantial campaign contribution by someone with a financial interest in a proposed Hilton hotel on South Roosevelt Boulevard, and he felt the money was meant to influence his votes on the matter.
1989 – Captain Tony Tarracino was elected Mayor of Key West and Sally Lewis was re-elected to the city commission.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Marathon's Sombrero Beach road under construction and Tingler Island on June 24, 1954. Copyright Edwin O. Swift Jr. from the archives of Edwin O. Swift III. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
