October 19

Key West Cemetery on June 9, 2006.

1862 – A group of five young men arrived at Key West in an open boat from the Indian River on mainland Florida, having fled their homes to escape conscription into the Confederate army.

1876 – A hurricane of minor intensity hit Key West with winds of 75 mph and slight damage to roofs and trees.

1901 – City of Key West officials were looking for a new cemetery site, as the existing cemetery was crowded and there was not much room for new burials. It was thought any new location should be some distance from town for sanitary reasons.

1925 – A group of New York businessmen announced they were purchasing a section of the Florecita subdivision on Boca Chica Key on which to build a hotel. They anticipated spending no less than $1 million on the structure, which they promised would be one of the most beautiful in the state.

1927 – To fulfill its contract with the U.S. Post Office, Pan American Airlines hired pilot Cy Caldwell to fly a single-engine seaplane from Key West to Havana. He left Key West at 8:04 a.m. carrying seven sacks of mail, containing about 30,000 letters. He landed in Havana 62 minutes later and saved the airline, which could not begin regular service with its own planes until October 28.

1960 – A large tiger shark known as “Sammy,” a Key West Harbor regular that had eluded fishermen for years, was finally caught and landed alive by Key Wester Henry Ogden. Sammy’s new home was to be in one of the Key West Aquarium’s saltwater pools.

1979 – The Harry S. Truman Animal Import Center on Fleming Key, the first of its kind on U.S. soil, was dedicated. The main speaker was Governor Bob Graham.

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

Image: Key West Cemetery on June 9, 2006. Dale McDonald Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.