October 31
1873 – The American ship Virginius was captured by the Spanish off the southern coast of Cuba. It was carrying weapons and men for the Cuban rebels fighting for control of the island. The Virginius was taken to Santiago, Cuba, where the captain and crew were executed, nearly leading to war between the United States and Spain. The American naval fleet was ordered to Key West as a show of strength.
1932 – Customs officers seized 97 packages of assorted liquor, including “high grade stuff” intended for the holiday trade, as well as “plain old aguardiente,” that had been smuggled into Key West by boat and was being stored on a lot near Elizabeth and Caroline streets.
1937 – A total of 37 absentee ballots were registered at Key West for the upcoming election: 25 by residents who could not vote on election day, and 12 by Key Westers who were temporarily residing out of town.
1950 – A crowd of a thousand Key Westers lined the streets to view a Halloween parade composed of 500 costumed school children.
1955 – Monroe County shrimp production for 1954 was about 13 million pounds of heads-on shrimp with a dock side value of about $4 million.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Halloween Party in the yard behind St. Paul's Church, Key West, ca. 1950. Jeff Brodhead Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
