1844 – The brig Bertrand, sailing from Portland, ME, to Mobile with a cargo of hay and potatoes, wrecked on the rocks near Sand Key. Wreckers refloated the ship, towed it to Key West for repair, and after arbitration were awarded $1,000 for their effort.
1896 – William Curry, Key West’s most highly esteemed citizen and businessman, died. He was born at Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas on September 11, 1821, and came to Key West at the age of 16. He entered the mercantile business in Key West and became Florida’s first millionaire. He was survived by his wife and eight children.
1898 – The U.S. Atlantic Fleet arrived off Key West for winter training. The Battleship Maine, which had been in Key West since November, got underway to join the fleet.
1917 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the Navy, with members of his staff paid an official visit to the Naval Station and inspected the facilities. After the inspection they left for Havana on the Destroyer MacDonald.
1974 – Air Sunshine, which would become Key West’s locally owned and locally-based airline on February 1, announced the signing of joint-fare agreements with Eastern and Delta Airlines.
1984 – The first cases of Keys Light Beer were distributed in Key West by H. Ramos & Company. The new brand of beer, brewed in Texas for the Keys market, bore the slogan “The light and lusty beer for the pirate in you.”
1998 – Key West City Commission approved a policy that allowed city workers to add domestic partners to the city’s health insurance plan.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Key West and harbor taken from the Lighthouse in 1898. U.S. Navy fleet in the background. From the Library of Congress.