1823 – Capt. Daniel Patterson of the U.S. Navy arrived at Key West to begin a formal survey of the island and its harbor. Patterson was sent by Navy Secretary Smith Thompson to ascertain if the place was suitable for a naval depot or port of commerce.
1924 – The first batch of concrete for the walls of the San Carlos Opera House was poured. Forms for other parts of the building were in place and work on those sections would start in a few days.
1937 – At the urging of state WPA officials, the concept for a monument dedicated to the veterans killed in the 1935 hurricane was formalizing. Local WPA supervisor B. C. Moreno said a monument would be built of native rock rising to a height of 30 feet with 14-foot bases, all bearing bronze plaques with suitable inscriptions.
1975 – The former Naval Station was dedicated as the Harry Truman Annex of the Naval Air Station. Former State Senator John Spottswood was the main speaker.
1977 – Key West singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett released “Margaritaville,” a song partly written on the island.
2011 – The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden began a month-long celebration of its 75th anniversary. The garden was established in 1936 as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration project headed by landscape architect Ralph Gunn.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The staff of Douglass School at the Botanical Garden C 1964. Photo by Don Pinder. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.