September 8

Florida East Coast Railway, Key West Extension. Finishing the rock on Key Largo, tamping coral rock.

1891 – Thomas Romer in Key West died at age 108. Romer was born in Nassau in 1788 and later served as a privateersman for the United States in the War of 1812. He had been a citizen of Key West for 65 years.

1905 – Three hundred men were working on Key Largo to build the railroad bed for the Florida East Coast’s Overseas Railway, and five miles had been graded on the island to that date. Another crew was making soundings and drilling bore holes at Knights Key to determine the best foundation to cross it.

1932 – Chester Curry harpooned in the harbor an ocean sunfish that weighed between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds.

1935 – W.H. Green of the Florida Emergency Relief Administration was put in charge of hurricane recovery efforts in the Upper Keys. Supplies were arriving to the area to aid victims, and many fishermen had volunteered their boats to recover bodies.

1945 – The Florida census showed there were 18,065 people in Key West; 44 from Stock Island to Big Pine Key; 318 in Marathon; and 531 from the Matecumbes to the mainland portion of Monroe County.

1960 – Florida Keys residents were warned that Hurricane Donna was approaching the Florida Straits and would likely strike along the island chain in approximately 24 hours with winds of 150 miles-per-hour.

1965 – Hurricane Betsy, a category three storm, passed over the Upper and Middle Keys. Sustained winds of 100 mph or more were recorded between Big Pine Key and Homestead. Rainfall of 10.52 inches was recorded at Big Pine Key and 11.80 inches on Plantation Key.

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

Image: Florida East Coast Railway, Key West Extension. Finishing the rock on Key Largo, tamping coral rock. From Flagler Museum, donated by Lois Simpson. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.