Prologue
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Key West, like the other Florida Keys, began as a coral forest under the sea water - marine life was its population. As the polar ice caps reformed and the sea level dropped, terrestrial plant and animal life found its way. Soil was formed by decaying organic matter and storm actions. For millenniums the ocean continued to drop and the ocean currents, wind currents, birds, etc. continued to propagate the islands. Eventually human life forms found their way. This pyramiding of trillions of life cells, along with the forces of nature, produced an island called Cayo Hueso by early Spanish travelers.
A note on the word "Key" used to identify an island. Its origin is not well established except by usage. Most believe that it began by the Spanish adapting the word "cayo' from the Taino Indians of Hispanola and Cuba referring to small islands. The Spanish normally used "isla" for island and "islet" for small island. At least in the New World, they appear to use "cayo" and "cayuelo" for a very small island. The English used "Cay" or "Kay" such as Cay Sal Banks. Cay is pronounced as the letter "K." English maps of the Keys made just prior to the Revolutionary War of 1776 used the word "Key." A Colonial American court record of the "Libel of Dennis and Allen vs the snow St. Fermin alias Britanis" in 1744 used the word "Keys" referring to the Florida Keys. See the Admiralty Papers, Vol. 2, 1743 -1744.

The native aborigines and subsequent native groups were the first settlers of Key West. The Europeans were tourists for its first 300 odd years of historic existence. Europeans stopped for fresh water on these islands, which stood as silent as the martyrs for which they were first named. The silence was broken occasionally by those seeking refuge from being shipwrecked, to fish, to lumber, to salvage, etc. Other than the Native Americans, apparently no one settled permanently until about the time Florida became a United States territory in 1821. There are scattered references, but no specifics, to New Englanders and Bahamians as permanent settlers before the early 1800s.

The history of Key West is much like the rest of the Keys until 1821. Its natural deep water port was the deepest port between New Orleans and Norfolk, Virginia. Key West quickly became an economic center, was settled rapidly and became Florida's largest populated city. It had professional residents such as doctors, lawyers, insurance representatives, politicians, military personnel, journalists, publishers, etc. most of whom by vocation made some written documentation. These documentation's have made Key West history easier to be 'history', not fable. Politically, Key West was Monroe County. In population alone it overwhelmed all the remaining Keys for about a century and a half. Therefore, the following is nowhere a complete outline of its history.

Genesis

From a capitalist point of view, Key West had an interesting beginning. John W. Simonton purchased the island on January 19, 1822 from Juan Pablo Salas, who had acquired it as a Spanish Land Grant in 1815. John Simonton soon took on three northern partners: John Whitehead, John Fleeming and Pardon Greene. On the scene arrived General John Geddes of Charleston who had also purchased Key West. It was discovered that Don Juan Salas had sold it twice, first to John Strong, a lawyer no less, and then to Simonton. As if this were not bad enough, Strong had also previously sold Key West to George Murray before John Geddes. In summary, Salas sold it twice, Strong and Simonton, and Strong twice, Murray and Geddes. Simonton had already divided it up amongst three others: Whitehead, Fleeming and Greene. On May 23, 1828, Congress ruled Simonton as the legal owner. We might surmise that this was Florida's first land scam.
Here Comes the Navy

When England possessed Florida in 1763, the Spanish contended that the Keys was North Havana. On March 25, 1822, Navy Lt. Matthew C. Perry sailed the Navy schooner Shark to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, physically claiming the Keys as United States property. There were no protests so the Keys were United States property. The same year the president authorized a custom house at Key West. Mr. Joel Yancy was the first collector of customs.

For history purposes, Lt. Perry did cause a minor confusion. He renamed Cayo Hueso (Key West) to "Thompson's Island" for the Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and the harbor "Port Rogers" for the president of the Board of Navy Commissioners.

As to the name Key West, there is little doubt that it was some form of translation from the Spanish 'Cayo' (Key) and 'Hueso', if indeed the name was Hueso. The Spanish word Hueso [Way-so] means bone in English. A few believe that it came from the seven-year apple tree found in the Keys, which was also called hueso by the Spanish. Regardless of its origin, the name Key West prevailed with time.

Piracy was a problem in the West Indies open waters and Congress decided to protect US shipping. The task was given to the Navy. Partly on reports by Lt. Perry, the Navy on February 1, 1823, ordered Commodore David Porter to establish a depot in Key West to end piracy. Slave ships were included as an act of piracy.

The aforementioned civilians preceded the military into Key West. However, they were having problems deciding who was the rightful owner. Commodore David Porter arrived in April 1823 with his West Indies Squadron to establish the depot. Porter envisioned Key West's position in the Florida Straits as the "Gibraltar of the Gulf."

Commodore Porter had no problem knowing who owned Thompson's Island, the United States did, and he simply took charge. He supported the name of Thompson's Island and Port Rogers; and further named the naval depot 'Allenton' after Lt. William Allen who was killed by pirates. For some it was difficult to determine who disliked Commodore Porter more, the pirates or the residents of 'Thompson's Island.' It should be noted that the civilian residents knew that their success totally depended on the military defending the island. Porter lost his command in 1825 and in 1826 the Navy moved the Navy base to Pensacola. A coal and supply facility remained at Key West.

In October 1824 one of Porter's officers heard stolen goods were stored in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. When he landed without permission, he was seized, imprisoned as a pirate and later released. Enraged, Porter marched ashore with 200 men and compelled the Spanish to make atonement for their actions. It is a long story but it was deemed that he exceeded his authority and was suspended by court-martial. In August 1826 he resigned and became the General of Marine for Mexico's navy. In this capacity he also haunted the residents of Key West in the years to come.

However, Commodore Porter was extremely successful in protecting Key West from pirates, but he could not protect it from yellow fever, lack of fresh water and the 'wrecking' industry. (See the General History page on wrecking.) Key West was a 'natural' for the relatively new US industry of salvaging wrecked ships. It had a natural deep water seaport, was situated on the primary shipping route and had a natural resource in its front yard - the Florida Reefs. The Gulf Stream route was irresistible as a shipping route and in many cases practically unavoidable. Some of the richest cargoes passed and wrecked in its front yard. All they had to do was sit back and wait.

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Legalizing Wrecking
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Location, location, location is the cry of any good businessman. Then, in 1825 the Federal Wrecking Act prescribed that all property wrecked in US waters be taken to a US Port of Entry. Commodore Porter left the same year for Pensacola. 1828 was a pivotal year. On January 13, 1826 a harbor lighthouse was lit on Whitehead's Point. In 1828 Key West was designated a Port of Entry. Key West grew from a desolated island into a bustling city within a few years. Congress ruled Simonton as the owner and Key West incorporated twice, once as a city then as a town. Congress created the 'Superior Court of the Southern District' with admiralty power. Judge James Webb was its first judge, but his successor, William Marvin, will be the most remembered. He authored the Law of Wreck and Salvage and later was provisional governor of Florida at the close of the Civil War. In 1832, Key West reverted to a charter type city government.
During this time John Whitehead's brother, William, surveyed the city in 1829. Southard was the Secretary of the Navy, hence Southard Street and Eaton was Secretary of the Army, hence Eaton Street. William Duval was the first Territorial Governor of Florida, hence Duval Street.

Wrecking could provide quick monetary rewards. One of the early Charleston settlers in Key West was Richard Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was 30-years old when he arrived in Key West. He became the only authorized auctioneer for wrecking property before the 1828 law. Reportedly in one year he made around $10,000 in fees alone. This would be equivalent to about $280,000 today. We will read of his name later.

Two years after the aforementioned 1828 events, the census of 1830 revealed Key West's population was 517. The year before, 258 acres were mapped as a town with 64 blocks. These early settlers were primarily from the New England states, not the Bahamas. Key West grew as a maritime, a military and a county seat community. By 1850 there were 2,645 and in 1890 there were 18,080 residents.

The following from the United States "Enumeration's" provides an insight into the early population growth of Key West.

YEAR WHITES FREE BLACKS SLAVES TOTAL1830 368 83 66 517 1840 516 76 96 688 1850 2,088 126 431 2,645 1860 2,302 160 451 2,913 1870 4,631 1,026 --- 5,675

For reference some later decades of population are: 1880 = 9,890; 1890 = 18,080; 1900 = 17,114; 1910 = 19,945; 1920 = 20,000; 1930 = 12,831; 1940 = 12,927; and 1950 = 21,792 (excluding military).
Key West had its first newspaper, the Register, in 1829. The Key West Gazette followed in 1831, then the Enquirer in 1834. The present day Key West Citizen began as The Citizen in 1904 and consolidated with The Inter-Ocean.

Around 1830, salt production began in the present day airport's general area. There was a large need for salt for food preservation. About 50,000 bushels of salt was usual, however an early rainy season could 'wash' away the profits. William Whitehead and Richard Fitzpatrick were prominent salt producers. Wrecking remained the economy of Key West of which Fitzpatrick owned several wrecking ships. The military history continued with the arrival of the US Army in 1831. Major James Glassel commanded two companies camped on North Beach. This was good timing as the Second Seminole War was approaching. The Army was to be a larger influence that originally expected.

Wrecking however was the real industry of the Keys. A sad but curious wreck occurred in 1831. In December, the ship Maria wrecked on the reef and the wreckers save all of its 250 passengers and crew. They were brought to Key West which according to the 1830 census had a total population of only 517. Somehow, the residents took care of all the survivors until arrangements could be made.

Jacob Housman, also a wrecker, did not get along well with the Key West wrecking courts, so he sought to establish a port of entry on Indian Key. He did not succeed; however, he upset the tranquility, such as it was, of Monroe County. He was not alone in this feat as by now Richard Fitzpatrick had been elected several times to Florida's Legislative Council. Housman and 56 others had petitioned for the division of Monroe County. One of the main stated objections was traveling to Key West for jury duty.

One reason for presenting this history is our current tendency of thinking of Monroe County only as it exists today. Fitzpatrick had become Monroe County's Territorial Council Representative at Tallahassee. In 1836 he was elected the council president and easily pushed through a bill dividing Monroe County. This established the entire eastern section of former Monroe County as Dade County on February 4, 1836. The size of Monroe County was reduced by about half with Key West as its major settlement. Fitzpatrick had since the 1830s acquired extensive land holdings in the new county of Dade. Indian Key was the county seat.

In December 1835 the Second Seminole War commenced with the killing of Major Francis Dade. (See web page on the Seminoles.) Throughout the entire Florida War, Key West was never attacked. However, on August 7, 1840, Indian Key was attacked and burned except for one house. (See web page on Indian Key.)

One of the outcomes of the War of 1812 was a coastal defense system. Extensive plans followed developing usually brick fortifications. Construction of Fort Taylor by the US Army began in 1845 only to experience major destruction the next year by the Hurricane of 1846. Work continued on the brick structure in time to be a major influence at the outbreak of the Civil War. Another 1845 brick structure was the completion of the two-story Marine Hospital on August 2, 1845. Originally built for the U.S. Merchant Marine the 40-bed hospital served many until its closure in February 1943.

A new industry was looming for Key West - the sponge industry. The value of processed sponges was realized in the 1840s. The Bahamians were well adapted for this occupation and came to Key West in droves. Key West quickly became a sponge center and this industry helped Key West when the wrecking industry slowed down. It was also an alternate job while the wreckers were awaiting a wreck to occur. As the 1850 census records indicate, Key West rebuilt after the destruction of the 1846 hurricane. The construction of Fort Taylor, the sponge industry and the highly successful wrecking industry contributed to Keys West's rapid growth. Key West began to lose the sponge monopoly to Florida's west coast around 1870.

Some experts estimate that if today's measuring devices had been available, the Great Hurricane of 1846 (October 11 and 12) would have been a category-5 hurricane. The collector of customs, Steven Mallory, wrote that of 600 houses all but eight were destroyed or damaged. The offshore Sand Key and harbor lighthouses were destroyed. Water rose to about 8-feet in the lower streets. The harbor lighthouse location moved and completed on January 15, 1848. For a 1849 map of Key West - CLICK HERE.

Did this discourage the residents? Evidently not as the above enumeration's indicate about a 300 percent growth between 1840 and 1850. In May 1859 Key West experienced the first of its large fires. A fire in the L.M. Shaefer warehouse burned all but two houses in the two blocks formed by Green, Front, Simonton and Whitehead streets. -

The Civil War Looms
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The work at Fort Taylor was the first federal permanent building in Key West since Commodore Porter. At the outset of the Civil War, Florida was a confederate state. It was expected that Key West would be also. The Union had a considerable force in Key West because of the construction of Fort Taylor under Captain E. B. Hunt (Corps of Engineers). Key West was taken easily when at night on January 13, 1861, Captain James Brannan took possession of the city while it slept. Key West played a major role during the war because of it strategic location. A special city election was conducted to replace all the previously elected officers. Alexander Patterson was elected mayor.

The military took over the economy from the wrecking industry, in fact Key West was a military community. The Army, in the form of the Provost Marshall and Fort Taylor, ran the city while the Navy ran the port and controlled all shipping. Warehousing became even more important as the cargoes seized by the Navy had to be warehoused.

Key West in the 1860s had a population of about 3,000 citizens. Control of the large group of southern sympathizers required strong measures. In 1863, Union Col. Thighman Good generated an order which he later rescinded to transport 600 Key West citizens to Charleston, South Carolina to be held behind Confederate lines.

Yellow fever was always a problem along the early Florida seacoasts. In 1864 it was especially high among the military personnel. By the end of the summer there had been about 1,000 cases resulting in the death of about 200.

The Civil War was largely responsible for Key West becoming Florida's largest city. Competing cities in size were to the north and some, as Jacksonville, suffered considerably. Key West was the center of the Union's Gulf and East Gulf blockading forces and profited economically. Many ships from many nations were seized and brought into Key West's harbor for disposition. Work finally began on the two Martello Towers. Key West also was the support base for Fort Jefferson. How the city government of Key West functioned is not clear.

On December 8, 1866, Monroe County got part of its original land back when its present boundary was established starting "at the mouth of Broad Creek, a stream separating Cayo Largo from Old Roads [sic] Key, extending thence in a direct line to Mudd Point." This places the north boundary at about Mile Marker 114.

Shipping lanes connected Key West with the world, but in 1866 another step was taken. Key West became the hub for the International Ocean Telegraph Company. The line connected Havana, Cuba to Punta Rassa on Monroe County's west coast to the United States.

After a half century of settling, the 1870 census shows Key West's population as 5,675. In the same half century the total Upper Keys for five islands population was 133. No one lived on Lower Matecumbe Key, the sixth principal island.

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The Key West Cigar
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One should not overlook the influence of the Cuban population. They had continually grown since William Wall, an Englishman, started a Key West cigar factory in 1831. The Cuban Independence War of 1868 (Ten Years War) assured Key West of becoming a cigar capital. Spanish became the second language. The El Republicano newspaper was printed in Spanish is 1870. It went farther than this; in 1875 Carlos Cespedes was elected mayor. The economic timing of this new force was great as lighthouses were being built and the wrecking industry was destined to decline. The coming of the steam ship also greatly reduced the number of ships that wrecked.

By time the 1885 Florida Census was taken, over a third of the 13,558 residents of Key West were born in Key West - Key West natives. It is estimated that about 200 factories produced about 100 million cigars annually. The new industry was booming.
Cuban cigar workers were accustomed to unions, but they were weak at first. As labor union membership grew, their power grew. In 1885 there was a major cigar worker's strike which lasted for months and Vicente Ybor, a principal manufacturer, moved to Tampa. Of course, Tampa offered a variety of 'good deals' and other cigar companies or individual workers followed.

Fire was no stranger in Key West and Key Westers were always vigilant for fire in their mostly wooded city. Recorded in 1843 was the burning of a waterfront warehouse. The simple fire fighting equipment proved almost useless and was thrown into the water in disgust. Again in 1859 the city was tested by flames which took out a small section. One person intentionally blew up his house to make a fire gap. Then in 1886 a fire destroyed the entire downtown section in the early morning hours of April 1. This was not April fools. The fire started at 2 a.m. in the San Carlos Hall on Duval Street between Fleming and Southard streets. High winds fanned the flames while an inadequate fire fighting system fought almost in vain - the primary steam operated fire engine was in New York for repairs. Again, blowing up buildings was done, but three people died in the process. Twelve hours later over 50 buildings, one the cigar box manufacturer, and six wharves were destroyed. Four lost their lives. When one sees a historic red brick building in Key West, most likely it was constructed after 1886.

One example was the red brick Key West Customs House at the end of Whitehead Street which has been wonderfully restored today. The contract for its construction was let in December 1888 and was occupied three years later. Its total cost was $107,955.96.

- Public Transportation -

The cigar industry also led Key West into the twentieth century in transportation. Eduardo Hidalgo Gato introduced a mule powered streetcar system to connect "Gatoville" to the downtown area in the 1880s. I am not certain of the exact date. Signs on the streetcars exhibited in early photos denotes it as the "K-W St Car Association."

The cigar industry was fraught with strikes. It was during one, or the threat of one, that Gato was more or less forces to sell mule driven system during a boycott of the line in 1894. A Cincinnati company purchased it and converted it to electric streetcars. The name Stone and Webster comes to my mind. The electric streetcars were removed from service in 1927 and the tracks removed.

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You Can't Beat Success

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By this time Key West was the largest city in Florida. To make it even larger in May 1889 the Florida Legislature granted a new charter to the city placing the entire island within the city limits. This change also provide power to float bonds for street improvements. Another charter change in 1891 authorized a mayor and made the city clerk, marshall, tax collector and assessor, treasurer and chief-of-police elected offices. Jacksonville eventually exceeded the population of Key West by incorporating most of Duval County - a numbers game. Successful cities spring back from almost overwhelming odds. Within a few years after the fire, Key West appeared to be better than ever. Mule drawn street cars appeared and the Peninsular and Occidental Steamship Company (P&O) began biweekly sailing's between Tampa, Key West and Havana. An electric power plant was operational as were, a new courthouse, a turtle canning plant, a new post office. They had to be new as they had been destroyed or damaged so badly that replacement was the only answer. In 1889 the Florida Legislature granted Key West a new charter expanding the city's boundaries to include the entire island. Partly due to the city limit boundary change, the population almost doubled between 1880 (9,890) and 1890 (18,080).

In the 1890s, the sponge market thrived. One entrepreneur was A. J. Arapian, a Greek immigrant known locally as the 'sponge king.' His annual sales approached $500,000.

The Spanish American War
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In December of 1891 Jose Marti arrived from Tampa in Key West for his first visit to continue the work he had started in New York - organizing a Cuban revolution in earnest. He also visited and worked until he had the expatriated Cubans from all parts taking an active role. On February 25, 1895, the "Liberator of Cuba" gave the word for the revolution to start. Marti himself went to Cuba and was killed in the battle of Dos Rios in May 1895.
Attempts were made to draw America into the confrontation. US owned participants such as the ships Three Friends and Dauntless participated as filibusters. In an attempt to avoid neutrality laws, arms were taken on one ship and troops on another taking different routes. Covert actions became overt when The USS Maine left Key West, met with the Atlantic Fleet on training maneuvers in the Tortugas, and sailed into Havana Harbor on a peaceful mission. After 21 days at anchor, on February 15, 1898 at 9:40 P.M. she exploded sinking with a crew of 355. Only 94 survived. Key West citizens dedicated a monument in the city cemetery on March 15, 1900 to the heroes who died in the harbor of Havana on that February 15, 1898.

"Remember the Maine" became the rallying cry and Spanish - US negotiations were in motion. Formal fighting began on April 22, 1898 and ended August 12, 1898. Key West became a focus of activities and drinking the supply of drinking water became a problem. A lemon aid was 20 cents and a beer 25 cents. Tampa was the primary support city but Key West was the center of activity. The U.S. Navy at Key West was again beefed up and played a significant role during the Spanish American War. After the war ended the navy facilities were downsized again. Years of Cuban revolutionary activity was over. Key West returned to some degree of normalcy but she began to loose some of the sponge market to Tarpon Springs.

Nearing the close of the 19th century, Key West found its primary economic force of wrecking dwindling. Almost 10,000 Cubans had made Key West their home which was almost half of its population. The cigar industry dominated Key West. An example was Pohalski village which was almost a town in itself including the cigar manufacturing buildings. Its center would be today in the area of White Street and Truman Avenue. (The Germans did much of the art work for the cigar labels.) Cigar making would continue to dominate Key West until the 1920s when cigarette use brought it to its knees. After the Great Fire, public buildings were mostly of brick construction. Many of those constructed of wood added tin roofs to protect from blowing sparks from other houses on fire. This practice continues. Examples of brick structures are the US Customs House (1891), the Old City Hall (1891) and Old Monroe County Courthouse (1890).

The military continued in Key West as the US took more of an active interest in the Caribbean. Winter training was conducted in the Caribbean area and in 1906 a wireless communication system was started. Key West was a major center and continued to grow. The Key West Electric Street Railway Company operated its first street car on Duval Street on February 13, 1899. It transported nearly 500 passengers its first day. The same year the county constructed a road through the eastern portion of Key West - now Flagler Avenue.
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The Iron Horse Arrives

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Henry Morrison Flagler gave Key West its next shot in the arm. In 1905 men and material began spanning the Keys for a railroad to Key West. With this expectation, a new Chamber of Commerce met and elected W.D. Cash as president. Since land was scarce in Key West, Flagler dredged in new land for his railroad yard and docks. He thought on a large scale and had 1,700 foot docks for ocean liners plus for his future train ferries to Cuba. Miami was the headquarters for construction, but its destination with the huge land and sea terminal was Key West.

When Flagler was told there was not enough land for his massive rail terminal, he instructed his work force the "build some." Key West was enlarged with 134 acres of land fill pumped up the bottoms of the Gulf now called Trumbo. Trumbo was the dredging contractor. During the railroad construction period, Key West and the other Keys experienced three hurricanes - 1906, 1909 and 1910. As a result of building the railroad, Key West and Stock Island was connected the first time by a road in February 1906. The October 1909 hurricane did considerable damage to downtown Key West. In May 12, 1910 the first spike was driven for the railroad from the Key West end and the first train arrived with pomp and ceremony on January 22, 1912. (The railroad is covered on a separate web page. To access the page of Flagler and the Key West Extension Click Here and then the back arrow to return to this spot.)

Mr. Flagler died in 1913 and the Florida East Coast Railway was just getting its operation going when WW-I brought in more military to Key West again. On July 13, 1917, ground was broken for a coastal air patrol station on land rented from the F.E.C. Rwy. On September 22 the first naval flight was logged in - A Curtis N-9 seaplane piloted by Lt. Stanley Parker. Seaplane training and 'lighter-than-air' craft facilities were constructed for submarine patrol. On December 18, 1917, the Naval Air Base Key West was commissioned with Lt. Parker as its commanding officer. Naval Air Facility planes flew from rented land of the railroad yard at Trumbo Point. On January 8, 1918, the first flight of naval flight students arrived for seaplane training. The downtown Naval Station was expanded for destroyers and submarines. This marked the beginning of Key West as a naval training facility. The submarine base was not completed until 1932. Key West was abuzz with military once again. Much of the activity subsided when the war ended.

The Florida Land Boom during the 1920s brought increased tourist activity to Key West. One new addition was the F.E.C. Casa Marina hotel. In February 1918, the F.E.C. Railway purchased the property for $1,000. Construction began in the spring and the formal opening was New Years Eve, December 31, 1921. Louis Schutt was moved from the Long Key Fishing Camp to be the manager. It closed indefinitely in the spring of 1932 - the Great Depression had arrived in Key West. Afterwards it opened for a few months each winter until leased to support the US Navy in World War-II. John Spottswood purchased the Casa Marina in June 1966 to begin operation by others than the F.E.C. The hotel was completely renovated in 1978.

While construction for the Casa Marina had just gotten underway, Key West experienced the severe Hurricane of 1919 on September 9. More than $2 million of damages were incurred by the category 4 hurricane.

Through out Florida a land boom was just awakening and land sales and building flourished. The Keys had a lot of vacant land but was available only by the railroad. The need for a vehicular highway was seen and in 1923 Monroe County approved $300,000 as a beginning. Also in 1923, Key West experienced another severe fire destroying about 43 houses in the White Street area. The estimate was $125,000 of damage and 40 families homeless.
In 1924 the La Concha hotel was created on Duval Street. After the 1926 hurricane more funds were needed for the highway so an additional $2,500,000 was approved. This would include three ferry boats to span a 40-mile open water space. The stock market crash of 1929 delivered the final blow to the 'Boom', but for south Florida the hurricane of 1926 signaled the end. Miami was the hub to support new development, was devastated by the hurricane and could not support the building process. In July of 1926, Key West replaced its aging electric street cars with buses. The Overseas Highway was completed and officially opened in 1928 for two-way traffic to and from Key West via three ferry boats serving about 40 miles of the trip. In May 1929 the overland bus company, Florida Motor Lines began an extensive campaign to promote Key West as the tourist Mecca of Florida. Signs that Key West was really moving into the twentieth century was dozed in 1929 when Miss Lena Johnson, was the first woman to be elected to its city commission, was defeated for reelection, but it was only by 40 votes.

More transportation news was made in Key West at this time. In June 1927 the highway from Big Pine Key to Key West was opened. On October 28, 1927, Pan American Airline (PAA) pilots Huey Wells and Eddie Musick delivered 772 pounds of air-mail from Key West to Havana in a Fokker trimotor. The dream of pioneer Juan Terry Trippe and his airline Pan American was in operation and it began in Key West. Trippe was born in Seabright, N. J. in 1899, graduated Yale University after serving in the Naval Air Service in WW I and joined a firm of investment bankers. With his financial support of those such as the Whitneys, Vanderbuilts and Rockefellows, he gained the Key West to Havana U.S. mail contract on June 16, 1927 for PAA and the rest is history. Monroe County entered into the air transportation mode when it purchased the Key West International Airport in November 1952. The Navy made its last flight of an airship and all blimps were moved out in March 1959. In April 1968, National Air Lines made its first landing on extended runways using a Boeing 727. To see more Key West airport photos Click Here and then use the back arrow to return to this spot.
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Lean Times

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The 1930s brought The Great Depression which had severe effects on Key West. The tourists and associated building of the 1920s evaporated. This was followed by the Navy reducing its base to maintenance status in 1932 (the Navy ordered it in August 1930). Only the radio station remained in full operation. Cigarettes replaced cigars and a disease threatened the local sponge activity. On July 1, 1934 Key West officially declared insolvency and threw itself into the hands of the state. The 1935 state census showed the population of Key West as 13,118 and the remainder of the Keys as 865. In 1945 the population was 19,755.

The state was no better off than Key West and neither was the country. So it was up to President Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal programs with acronyms such as the CWA, WPA, PWA, CCC, and FERA. Julius Stone headed the Florida division of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) in Jacksonville, but he found special favor in Key West. It appears that he spent more time in Key West than the rest of Florida and Key West realized the benefits. Where Commodore Porter envisioned Key West as the "Gibraltar of the Gulf" for its military position, Stone saw Key West as the "Bermuda of Florida" for its tourist potential. Many programs were started and continued through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) period. One project was the Key West Aquarium besides Mallory Dock which was started in 1933.

As if things were not bad enough, the Hurricane of 1935 cut Key West off from the mainland. Forty miles of railroad were destroyed in the Upper Keys and Key West was back to depending on maritime transportation. Some degree of help was provided by the new industry of air transportation. Temporary vehicle ferry landings were provided and two Mississippi River stern-wheelers were converted to link Key West to the mainland. Fortunately, Key West possessed a great harbor and was accustomed to living by the sea. For the more fortunate, Pan American Airways had just established regular service between Miami and Key West. On a smaller scale, in November 1935 the Thompson Fish Company purchased the Overseas Transportation Company as a freight service since the railroad was destroyed.

The damaged railroad right-of-way and bridges were converted to what I call the second Overseas Highway. The narrow railroad bridges were widened to 20-foot two-lane vehicle bridges. It was completed in 1938 and one could for the first time drive all the way to and from Key West without the use of car ferries. A gala highway celebration took place of the weekend of July 2-4 and Bernice Brantlt, Miss Key West, served as the queen, Visitors, delivery trucks and buses frequented all the principal Keys.

The new highway opening Key West to and from the nation was brought to national attention when on February 18, 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt passed through the Upper Keys in route to Key West to board the cruiser Houston to observe war games in the Caribbean. Poor Ole Craig waved to the entourage when in passed through Craig Key in an open convertible at about 2 p.m. Key West mayor, Willard Albury, met the president at the west end of the Bahia Honda bridge on West Summerland Key. From there, Mayor Albury accompanied the president to tour much of the then inactive naval facilities. Former Florida F.E.R.A./W.P.A. director Julius Stone's 1934 exhortation to Key West of its tourist potential was now a reality. The Gibraltar of the South had a usable vehicle artery to and from the mainland

The Overseas Highway is covered on a separate web site page at (Click here and then the back arrow to return to this spot.) .

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World War II
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In early 1941 Paramount Studios had photographers in Key West filming scenes for the future movie "Reap the Wild Wind." As with most of the nation, WW-II lifted Key West out of its sagging economy. President Roosevelt had driven the converted Overseas Highway and visited Key West in 1939. On October 14, 1939, Navy Headquarters announced the closed Navy Station would reopen November 1. The same year the Navy signed a contract for Trumbo Point for use as a Naval Air Station. The first spade full of dirt was turned on March 12, 1940. The base served as an training and operating base for the U.S. Navy's fleet aircraft squadrons. The Navy was back in Key West and no one knew what would happen a little more than a year later.
One such valuable military resources at Key West was the Fleet Sonar School at the naval station in 1940. The school was invaluable for training sonar operators for the country's struggle against German U-boats a few years later. Pearl Harbor occurred almost two years later. The country was at war again. The sonar school closed in the early 1970s. The Key West economy was damaged when a mysterious blight attacked the sponges. The sponges disintegrated when touched by the retrieving hook.

In summary, once again Key West was on a military economy. Military and civilian workers flooded the streets making Key West once again the "Gibraltar of the Gulf" as Commodore Porter saw it in 1823. Without all the details, World War II expanded the naval operations from around 50 acres to over 3,000 acres, including 1700 acres of Boca Chica. Harbor dredging created another island to store explosives - Fleming Key. Meacham Field became Key West Airport and the old Marine Hospital became quarters for the Navy's women corps - the WAVES. The Navy took over the old F.E.C. Trumbo Point railroad yard and improved Sigsbee Park. The Casa Marina as rented for its officer personnel. In March 1945 one naval operational entity was established - U.S. Naval Air Station, Key West. The Fleet Sonar School was in full operation. About 15,000 military and 3400 civilian personnel supported these operations. After WW-II the navy retained its training facilities.

The needs of the Navy in Key West helped all the Keys. To support its wartime mission the Navy needed fresh water, so it paid for and operated an 18-inch pipeline the length of the Keys. Support equipment was larger and heavier than before so an improved highway US-1 was constructed. A total of 17 miles was cutoff by eliminating the out-of-the-way Lower Keys route via Pirates Cove and the Upper Keys route via the old wooden Card Sound bridge. More or less this is the US-1 route that we drive today. (Fopr details of the Overseas Highway cllick: {OSH}, public water {FKAA} and electricity {FKEC} or go to separate web pages under General History.)

After WW-II, the whole country increased in mobility. New churches and schools sprang into life. Things were not all peaches and ice cream as in the summer of 1946 Key West suffered it worst polio epidemic ever. Twenty cases were reported with two deaths. Restrictions barred children under 16 from public places. Mosquito control was put into effect as a county agency in 1951. At first it was spraying with trucks but by 1960 the Beech type 18 aircraft were used. All the elements for growth were present. But the economy of Key West was once again on the wane. The free-spirited sailors that were on liberty went back to their homes to regain their lost time. The US Navy was again down sizing. 1951 was not a dull year for Key West as as the 1000-unit Navy housing project on former Dredger's Island was renamed Sigsbee Park. Navy Captain Sigsbee was the captain of the USS Maine sank in the harbor of of Havana in 1898. The old Army barracks on Palm Avenue was named Peary Court after the discoverer of the North Pole. Incidentally, at this time tourism was ranked fourth.

Here is something for some one to check out for a "first." In January 1953 the Key West Citizen reported that Edmond Albury acquired a building permit to construct on Eaton Street a CBS house - just wondering? Another marker of growth in March of 1953 the 6,000th telephone was installed on the switchboard to the home of Lt. F. E. Mitschke. The same year the county's population was reported as 29,975. I do not have the exact numbers, but Key West would have been about 26,500. Both Key West and the remainder of the county was growing fast. A strange weather event occurred on October 12 when the Key West Weather Bureau reported a record low of 64 degrees.

However, in September of 1955 the lack of summer tourists prompted a "motel price war" and eight motels offered free rooms to tourists. In November of 1955 the U.S. Navy presented a breakdown of its Key West population: 936 officers, 9,000 enlisted personnel, 6,661 dependents and 1,725 civil service for a total of 18,322. The civilian population was 26,433. Things were not that bad as Stock Island had it first stock car race. There 17 local and 19 Miami car drivers.

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Pink Gold
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The economy of Key West was saved again when 'pink gold' was found in the Marquesas and Tortugas areas in 1949. This was a new commercial variety of shrimp considered delicious, large and pink with fine flavoring. As with once popular Key West cigars, now there were the 'Key West Pinks.' Shrimp boats numbered around 500 in the winters which was the best season for shrimp. In 1953 the tradition of today's Mallory Square was innocently started when the Key West Motor Court Association petitioned the city for use as a public fishing pier. The 1960 census showed Key West's population at 33,956, more that two time the remainder of the county at 13,965 - a total of 47,921.

In 1962 John Spottswood arranged for the movie PT 109 to be filmed on nearby Munson Island which he owned. ( Click here ) for additional information.

The Key West NAS responded to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when on October 22, 1962 reconnaissance flight began to support the Cuban blockade. After the short burst of activity caused by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the military in Key West continued to down size. Destroyer Squadron 12 and Submarine Squadron 12 were decommissioned at a joint ceremony on June 29, 1973 signaling the beginning of the end. On March 29, 1974, Admiral John Maurer ordered his flag lowered terminating 151 years of naval operations at the Key West Naval Station. Navy Lt. Mathew Perry had raised the American flag on March 24, 1822. Naval air operations continued however, and U. S. Coast Guard operations were expanding.

When the military down sizes there is a related loss of civilian jobs. To some, the 1970s correlated with the rum running days of the 1920s and 30s. Even though rum running and drug running are similar in actions, the reaction were quite different. Key West had to look back to Julius Stone who in 1934 told them that they were missing a gold mine as the the "Gibraltar of the US." A century earlier Commodore Porter compared Key West to Gibraltar. The city fathers and businessmen made historic Key West into a thriving tourist center to their credit without destroying their tangible legacy. Not to be forgotten is that the county seat's local government's economy provides some stability to Key West's economy.

Tourism is fickle as in May 1880 the Chamber of Commerce asked the governor to declare the city an economic disaster because of the adverse impact of the Cuban boat lift mainly from bad media coverage. Intelligence reported up to 100,000 Muriel refugees awaiting to come to Florida. The U.S. Coast Guard began its largest peacetime operation by ordering additional cutters for the area. To add to the problem a 73 mph squall line passed through the straits killing an estimated 12 refugees. The same year Governor Bob Graham concluded that hurricane sheltering in the Keys was "clearly insufficient" and residents should be evacuated in case of hurricanes. Tourism was now firmly entrenched. Even the old small "southernmost sign" (often stolen by collectors) was replaced with a new and larger concrete marker in 1983.

The U.S. Border Patrol established a road block near Florida City to check the citizenship of everyone leaving the Keys on April 18, 1982. Traffic was being backed for 15 miles or more and legitimate visitors were reluctant to come. On April 22, 1982 Key West took the lead by forming the Conch Republic and symbolically seceding from the Union. Symbolic border passes and visas were issued. Wooden Conch currency was sold, the pelican was declared the Republic's bird and then hibiscus the flower. The Conch Republic went as far as applying for foreign aid.

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Epilogue
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Like a military economy, a tourist economy is unpredictable, something that Florida well knows, but of which it often looses sight. Almost weekly the city debates the dichotomy of huge cruise ships docked near groups of homeless sleeping in the neighborhoods. A knee-jerk in the world economy can be a blow to the head for tourism, but fortunately these blips are usually short lived. An example was the 1974 gasoline shortage. A political knee-jerk can likewise bring prosperity. Key West, as well as the other Keys, have survived about every kind of calamity except earthquakes and avalanches. They will survive others in the future, that is unless global warming becomes a reality with rising sea levels.

This content used with permission from KeysHistory.org.