September 8
1896 – Key Westers were alarmed after rumors spread that Spanish authorities in Cuba planned to send agents to the island city and burn it to the ground. The incendiary plot was supposedly prompted by the strong support in Key West for anti-Spanish rebel insurgents. A vigilance committee was formed to look out for suspicious people.
1932 – Chester Curry harpooned an ocean sunfish in Key West Harbor that weighed between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds.
1956 – The Tradewinds Restaurant in the pre-Civil War era Caroline Lowe House at the corner of Duval and Caroline streets in Key West was gutted by fire and had to be torn down. The blaze was set by an arsonist who destroyed several significant Key West buildings before he was caught.
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.
2011 – Key West city offices were fully moved from the old City Hall building on Angela Street to temporary quarters at Habana Plaza on Flagler Avenue, which would be occupied until the city completed a new City Hall.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Postcard for the Tradewinds Club, 303 Duval Street, Key West, formerly the Caroline Lowe House. The DeWolfe and Wood Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
