October 15
- Florida Keys History Center
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
1797 – The brig Commerce of Baltimore sank in a hurricane near Key Largo. The crew spent three days on the island before being rescued by an English privateer and taken to Nassau.
1912 – The schooner Dippioca struck a submerged piling near Washerwoman Shoal and had to be driven onto a beach at the Saddlebunch Keys to avoid sinking. The schooner’s cargo of coconuts and plantains was transferred to a nearby vessel. Dippioca eventually made it to Key West for repair.
1930 – The bottling plant at Roland Adams’ dairy, at the corner of Seidenberg Avenue and 6th Street in Key West, was destroyed by fire. The loss of both the building and its contents was calculated at $10,000.
1975 – The ceremonial planting of the first tree as part of the Downtown 76 restoration project took place in the 600 block of Duval Street.
1975 – The “Doomsday Atlas” prepared by the U.S. Defense Civil Preparedness Agency showed that the area from Sugarloaf Key to Key West would be devastated in a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union due to an attack on the Naval Air Station at Boca Chica.
1986 – Margo Golan, age 70, philanthropist and civic leader, died. She was co-owner and executive vice-president and chairman of the board of Holiday Inn of Key West. She was also on the Florida Keys Hospital board, the Monroe County Public Library board, the Key West Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist Development Council.
2010 – The Truman Waterfront Advisory Board rejected a plan for a yacht marina with a pool and restaurant in the new Key West park at the former Navy submarine base. The proposal stated the marina would be fenced to ensure security, but in a way to allow the public to view the boats.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Photo mosaic of Key West, Stock Island, Boca Chica, and Big Coppitt Key taken on February 22, 1979 by RVAH 12 and the Navy Intelligence Office. U.S. Navy photo. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
