1797 – The brig Commerce of Baltimore sank in a hurricane near Key Largo. The crew spent three days on the island before being rescued by an English privateer and taken to Nassau.
1884 – General E.A. Perry, Democratic candidate for Governor of Florida, arrived at Key West on the mail steamer Stella. There, he addressed “one of the largest and most intelligent gatherings of the citizens of Key West that has been witnessed in four years.”
1923 – Benjamin Lopez, funeral director, undertaker and embalmer, was located at 413 Bahama Street.
1936 – The Federal Emergency Relief Administration announced that their joint effort with the Red Cross to rehabilitate the hurricane-ravaged area around Islamorada was complete. They had built 29 concrete homes and buildings, 12 frame houses, and repaired 28 others damaged in the monster storm of 1935.
1939 – The Key West Junior Chamber of Commerce received its charter in a banquet ceremony at La Concha Hotel.
1986 – Mrs. Margo Golan, age 70, philanthropist and civic leader died. She was co-owner and executive vice-president and chairman of the board of Holiday Inn of Key West. She had served on the Florida Keys Hospital board, the Monroe County Public Library board, the Key West Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourist Development Council.
1999 – Category 1 Hurricane Irene passed over Key West with 79 mph winds, then crossed Florida Bay to Cape Sable. The storm drenched the entirety of the Florida Keys with 6 to 10 inches of rain.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, and Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Lopez Funeral Home, a horse-drawn hearse and equipment in the 400 bock of Bahama Street C 1900. Gift City Electric System. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.