1830 – William Hackley recorded in his diary: This day twelve months ago I began keeping a diary with the intention of noting in it the manner in which my time was passed and also for the purpose of noting any circumstance which might occur to me or within the sphere of my knowledge which might appear worthy of record but I had not the most distant idea of any improvement in the way in which it has happened to me in my handwriting which has been so much improved by it that I am in great hopes that by the end of another year I shall be enabled to write a handsome hand. In the month of August immediately proceeding the time at which I commence this diary I had in accordance with the reiterated requests of my parents and many friends left off chewing tobacco which habit I had indulged in for 13 years (having commence when I was but of the age of ten years) and I am determined never to get into the habit again. And I have since then left off the smoking of segars and the use of all ardent spirits and but seldom drink wine or use any stimulating condiments in my food by following which regimen I have reduced my weight from two hundred pounds to one hundred and fifty by which means I feel a great deal better and more fit for study than I used to when I was so fat. I always felt heavy and lazy and was unable to pay the required attention to my studies. Read the Constitution of the United States twice and laws of Congress relating to the Territory of Florida. Wrote a short letter to Mother and read Hammond. After dinner read a chapter in Stewart. Played whist until half past nine. During the night a pretty severe wind came up which lasted about an hour, the wind during the day moderated but still comes from the same quarter and the rain also comes from the northeast.
1899 – The cigarmakers formed a union composed of both Americans and Cubans. Even though the Cubans were in the majority there will be two sets of officers and they will alternately be in charge of the weekly meetings. To avoid strikes a committee of one Cuban and one American in each factory will be chosen to report complaints whenever they are made. They will report to the general committee which will decide and their decision will be final.
1900 – The people of Key West raised over $1,200 for victims of the Galveston hurricane. The disbanded cigarmakers union voted to give the $375.75 remaining in the treasury to the cause.
1923 – The Pierce Brothers Hardware Company was located at the corner of Fleming and Elizabeth streets. They carried building materials, tools, sporting goods, bicycles and automobile accessories.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library
Image: The corner of Elizabeth and Fleming streets where the tin cans were collected in a clean-up campaign on March 20, 1927. The Pierce Brothers Hardware store can be seen. Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library. https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/4528774550/