1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose before seven and commenced reading Balthazard-Marie Emerigon. George Weaver, to whom Schooner Milo is consigned, desired me to attend to the case and answer the libel which was filed this morning. Went up to the clerk’s office and procured a view of the libel as the clerk said he felt too unwell to give me a copy. Drew up the answer and copied a part of it. After diner and at night read Livy. Oliver O’Hara today paid me three doubloons. Wind north northwest. Weather cool.
1900 – An experiment was made by Southern Bell Telephone Company last Sunday to connect the telephone wires with the Gulf cable between here and Havana. Present were Miss Bessie Ingraham, T.L. Ingraham and J.W. Atkins, the latter adjusting the wires, called Havana. For a long time there was no sound, except the roar that is heard at night sometimes caused by electric light current. Mr. Atkins kept on talking and finally came back the words clear and distinct, “I don’t understand you.” This was enough to demonstrate the fact that a proper telephone cable communication can be laid with other countries.
1912 – President William Howard Taft arrived in Key West on the train and after touring the city and attending a luncheon in his honor, sailed on a Navy ship to Panama to inspect the construction of the Panama Canal, then in progress.
1917 – St. Joseph Hospital was opened. Speeches were made by Dr. W.D. Warren, Dr. J.N. Fogarty, Domingo Milord, W. Hunt Harris and Key West Mayor Allen B. Cleare. The hospital was owned and operated by Dr. N.C. Pintado.
1953– Key West Police Chief Joseph Kemp announced that he was retiring after nearly 30 years on the force.
1975 – Key West Fragrance and Cosmetics celebrated their fourth anniversary by opening their new store and factory at Greene and Simonton streets. In four years the company has grown from two employees, Frank Romano and Joe Liszka, to two stores and 36 employees in Key West plus nine other shops in Florida and one in Haiti.
1993 – Alfred Rahming became the Key West Fire Department’s first Black fire captain. Rahming began with the department in 1974.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library.
Image: President Howard Taft, third from left, in Key West Dec. 21, 1912. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.