1895 – Between two and three hundred men, commanded by Cuban patriot leader Serafin Sanchez, secretly left Key West for Cuba to aid the revolutionary cause. “Many familiar faces are missed from the streets today,” wrote one correspondent.
1896 – The battleship Maine arrived at Key West to relieve the monitor Amphitrite, which was being sent to Brunswick, Georgia.
1907 – The Key West Citizen predicted, “Some day a railroad will tap the Cape Sable section [of Monroe County], opening up the southern end of the state to the farmer. When this is done, Florida will be able to supply a great portion of the country with vegetables.”
1927 – The new Overseas Highway running from Key West to Big Pine Key was opened for traffic. An estimated 1,000 cars with 4,000 passengers made the round trip.
1989 – The Key West Citizen switched from an afternoon to a morning newspaper.
1991 – County Commissioners instituted a 30-day moratorium on new construction in unincorporated Monroe County. The move was designed to prevent “panic building” while the county worked toward a comprehensive land use plan.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Sociedad de Cuba (Cuban Club), ca. 1890. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.