The Florida Keys have a rich history dating back to the indigenous peoples who lived there thousands of years ago. Some of the most significant Florida Keys Historical Events include: Ponce de León’s arrival in 1513: Juan Ponce de León arrived in Florida in 1513, marking the start of European exploration and colonization of the … Read more
Sway to the infectious rhythms of an outdoor salsa band. Savor the rush of caffeine from a shot of café cortadito sold by a smiling vendor. Cuban Culture. Pause on Duval Street to gaze at an imposing 19th-century building where history was made. And as you do, breathe a fervent “thank you” for the Cuban … Read more
Smugglers’ Times: Smuggling In The Days Of Prohibition Smugglers’ Times: Smuggling In The Days Of Prohibition. Logo for website This memoir details real stories of real people who worked in the marijuana smuggling industry. “I tell about the life of a smuggler. When marijuana is legal all over, we will be like the rumrunners during … Read more
Historical population Census Pop. %± 1830 517 — 1840 688 33.1% 1850 2,645 284.4% 1860 2,913 10.1% 1870 5,657 94.2% 1880 10,940 93.4% 1890 18,786 71.7% 1900 18,006 −4.2% 1910 21,563 19.8% 1920 19,550 −9.3% 1930 13,624 −30.3% 1940 14,078 3.3% 1950 29,957 112.8% 1960 47,921 60.0% 1970 52,586 9.7% 1980 63,188 20.2% 1990 78,024 … Read more
In 1930s Key West, a man who called himself “Count von Cosel” fell in love with a terminally ill girl named Elena Hoyos. Her death was the start of a bizarre but true love story that unfolds for theater fans in Undying Love: A Key West Musical, debuting on Valentine’s Day at The Studios of … Read more
Behind the history of Key West Curry Mansion one of the most enduring and charming historic inns. IT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM: a penniless immigrant boy, inspired by tales of wealth and wonder, sets off to seek his fortune on American soil, where, after much hard work, he becomes a self-made millionaire, … Read more
It’s fitting that a family passionate about aviation would live in a house that looked to many so much like a spaceship. Most people living in the Upper Keys have seen the house in the Venetian Shores subdivision on Plantation Key known locally as the UFO house. But not many remember who lived there, why it … Read more
Ever wondered about Florida Keys Names and why certain locations are named as they are? You may be on vacation in the Florida Keys, or a resident, and asked that question. If you’re boating and come across Alligator Reef, don’t think the name means it’s overrun with reptiles. The reef was named after the USS … Read more
Upper Keys historian Brad Bertelli made a recent public claim about local history that contained many errors and omissions that need clarification. I guess Brad was using his creative writing skills. Yes, the Upper Keys Historical Preservation Society (HPSUK) was formed in 1976 by a small group including Irving Eyster, which Brad omitted. Darlene Brown … Read more
Standing just east of U.S. Route 1 at mile marker 82 in Islamorada is the Florida Keys Memorial Hurricane Monument designed by the Florida Division of the Federal Art Project and constructed using Keys limestone (“keystone”) by the Works Progress Administration. Unveiled in 1937 with more than 4,000 people in attendance, a frieze depicts palm … Read more
If you live in Florida, you’re probably familiar with some of oil tycoon Henry M. Flagler’s work including the Florida Keys Overseas Railroad. Back in the early 1900s, Florida was a popular winter destination for the upper crust, and some of the Florida’s most extravagant works of architecture were commissioned by Flagler himself. Flagler College … Read more
Writer/musician/playwright Ben Harrison tells the true macabre story of Key West’s own “Count” Carl von Cosel and his passion that defied death, for an episode titled “Grand Gestures”. Von Cosel achieved international fame in 1940 when the corpse of his true love (and former tuberculosis patient) Elena Milagro Hoyos was discovered in his secluded house … Read more
Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad dedicated an exhibit at Key West’s Custom House Museum Friday, featuring items she wore during her landmark 2013 swim from Havana to Key West. The installation includes the bathing suit, goggles. and custom-designed jellyfish protection face-mask Diana Nyad used during the nearly 111-mile swim that took almost 53 hours. Nyad donated … Read more
A new pictorial history of Marathon – The Middle Keys traces the community’s growth from the earliest known settlers, through its Overseas Railroad era and the wrath of Hurricane Donna. Then there are the oddball Keys events, like the plight of an unfortunate whale shark paraded through town and Mitzi the dolphin who became a … Read more
The owner of the Old Tavernier Hotel at mile marker 91.8 recently received approval to transform the former lodging into affordable housing. The Monroe County Development Review Committee gave the final go-ahead on the minor conditional use permit requesting the change at its Aug. 30 meeting. These type of requests do not require public hearings after … Read more
The storied Tavernier Hotel at mile marker 91.8, around since the early 1930s when it was used as a movie theater, has closed its doors for good to overnight visitors. But the owner of the pink and green building hopes to revamp it into something the Florida Keys seems to be in desperate need of … Read more
Lighthouses in the Florida Keys have a tough task to manage. The area is not only strewn with coral reefs and shoals, but is also a favorite highway for destructive hurricanes and other storms. The Sand Key Lighthouse, the southernmost lighthouse in the United States, has been in operation since 1827, and has borne witness … Read more
The Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation has received permission from the Coast Guard to replace the zinc anodes on the Florida Keys Reef Lighthouses Carysfort, Alligator, Sombrero and American Shoal reef lights, according to foundation officials. Zinc anodes, which serve as a sacrificial metal, are used to preserve the iron legs of the lights, much … Read more
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The Key West Greyhound Track was once billed as the Tiniest Track in America, this oval was located amid auto graveyards and cheap trailer parks in the poorest section of America’s most southeastern town. [this was actually on Stock Island] It was the literally the last stop on the road for young pups or aging … Read more
