1908 – Rodef Shalom Synagogue on the corner of Southard and Simonton Streets was dedicated.
1923 – A large catch of 20,000 pounds of mackerel was brought to the Thompson Fish House in Key West by the boats Heron, Standard, and Elizabeth.
1924 – The P&O steamer Governor Cobb arrived at Key West from Havana with 409 passengers, and two trains from Miami brought 279 and 231 passengers. Similar busy days were expected for the near future.
1931 – The portion of the Over-Sea Highway on Key Vaca opened. Cars could travel by road to No Name Key then by ferry to Key Vaca then by road to Grassy Key where the ferry would go to Lower Matecumbe Key then to the mainland via the Card Sound bridge.
1933 – The U.S. naval communication service and the Lighthouse Bureau exchanged offices, switching between the old post office building and building No. 1 (today known as the Key West Custom House and the Shops at Mallory Square).
1936 – Nelson English Park was dedicated. The main speaker was Alex Johnson. The park was named for Nelson English, the first African-American Postmaster of Key West. The Welters Cornet Band provided music for the ceremony.
1963 – Fire destroyed William Curry & Sons building on Front Street. The giant two-story frame building was considered a priceless historical landmark that had been built after the Great Fire of 1886.
1973 – The military accepted the offer from the City of Key West giving all returning Vietnam prisoners of war a one-week vacation in Key West with their families.
1998 – Key West was looking at a proposed law to phase out short-term rentals over the next four years, except in gated communities and some downtown neighborhoods.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Florida East Coast Railway, Key West Extension. A passenger train at the depot on pier one at Trumbo with the Governor Cobb alongside the pier, circa 1920s. Gift of Albert Perez. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.