September 9

1905 – Sheriff’s Deputies raided a “bawdy house” run by Annie Crawford at 107 Simonton Street, Key West, and all the tenants were arrested. Only one man, a Johnny Seymour, was found inside, and he was charged with vagrancy and sentenced to six months in jail.

1919 – A major hurricane passed south of Key West on a west-northwesterly track. Gale or hurricane force winds lasted from 7 a.m. Sept. 9 until 9:30 p.m. on Sept 10, with the highest reaching 150 mph. A barometer reading of 27.37 was recorded at the Dry Tortugas. The category four storm caused more than $2 million in damages.

1925 – Key West’s Collector of Customs L.T. Bragassa auctioned a boat that had been seized a few weeks earlier with a load of illegal liquor. The sale in front of the federal building drew a crowd and brisk bidding, with Benito Perez the purchaser at $600.

1940 – Mrs. N.P. Nelson’s Kindergarten School opened at 727 Love Lane in Key West.

1964 – At 3:30 a.m., the Beatles landed at Key West International Airport, greeted by a mob of screaming fans. The group had been scheduled to perform in Jacksonville, but a hurricane diverted them to Key West. The wildly popular musicians spent two days at the Key Wester Motel on South Roosevelt Boulevard.

1975 – After a seven-month undercover investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration began making arrests in an investigation dubbed “Operation Conch.” Among the 18 people indicted by the statewide grand jury in Tallahassee were Key West City Attorney Manuel James and Fire Chief Joseph “Bum” Farto.

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

Image: The Beatles depart the Key West Airport for the Key Wester Motel in the early morning hours of September 9, 1964. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.