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Why Key West?
That’s easy, the real question is when...
When will you finally make it down to the Keys, and how quickly you will return as a local.
Rather than give you the usual song and dance about a vacation destination,
we’ve compiled a list of Keys facts that we thought you might find interesting or helpful.
Keys “Top 10’s”:
- Bahia Honda State Park was voted one of the top ten beaches in the USA by Conde Nast Traveler.
- The Green Parrot Bar was voted top ten for bars in the USA by Playboy magazine.
- Widely known as one of the top ten Sportfishing and Scuba Diving Spots in the Americas.
- One of the top hangouts for famous (and infamous) people over the years.
- More bars, churches, restaurants & law enforcement, per capita, than any other city in the country.
- We are, of course the Southernmost City in the USA, being only 90 miles from Havana Cuba.
- The 3rd longest barrier coral reef in the Western Hemisphere.
- More shipwrecks than anywhere in the USA and the richest single shipwreck find in the History of the USA.
- The Keys has the warmest, clearest coastal waters in the Continental USA.
- We are the only frost-free city in the Continental USA, the lowest temp recorded was 41 degrees F in 1981.
- Duval and Simonton Streets (our main streets) are the only streets to stretch from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Key West was, more than once in history, the richest city in the U.S.
- Key West has got to be the most tolerant city, culturally, on the planet much less the Country.
- Key West is the exclusive place in the USA for bird watchers to see several species including the Antillean Nighthawk.
- The largest City and County Governments per capita in the USA, It’s amazing how little taxes on $3 billion/yr. in sales, can buy.
- The longest bridge in the USA is of course the famed 7 Mile Bridge (just South {West} of Marathon Key at MM 45 +/-).
- O.K. locals... what did we leave out?
Geographical & Demographic Stats:
- Average year round temperature 77 F, Record high was 98F (‘97) (avg. high is 91F in July/Aug), record low was 41F (‘81).
- Average rainfall 40” (as opposed to 65” for the mainland)... we get lots of sun (better weather for charters).
- Out of Florida’s 17 million inhabitants the Keys local population makes up 81k, and Key West’s local populace tallies at 26,000.
- The average property sold in Key West this year will probably average well over $550,000.
- The total surface area of dry land in the Monroe County (mostly the Keys) is 1,034 square miles.
- Key West (including Stock) Island occupy 8,169 of the almost 30,000 acres that are the Keys
- The Keys Mile Markers start at MM0 at the corner of Fleming & Whitehead St. in Key West and stretch up to MM 127 at Florida City.
- ... So yes, the Florida Keys are 127 miles long, with an average elevation of less than 6 feet.
- There are a total of 42 bridges, amounting to 15% of the 2.5 hour long US1 drive down the Keys. Plan on at least 3.5 hrs from Miami.
- There are over 100 islands which are referred to as “Keys” in the Florida Keys.
- Over 2.5 million people will visit Key West in 2004, pretty much doubling the numbers for 2000 & ‘01.
- The gargantuan increase can probably largely be accounted for through cruise ships, although there is a huge increase regardless.
Keys History (very abbreviated, this is a hand full of thousands of Notable events, reference material: Brooks White):
- It is believed that the largely limestone, oolite & coral Florida Keys were formed at least 50,000 years ago.
- 1513 Ponce de Leon maps the Island of Key West, do you think it might look a bit different today?
- 1622 Hurricane sinks Spanish convoy headed to Havana from Spain; This would later be salvaged in the 1980’s by Mel Fisher.
- 1744 British man-o-war HMS Looe, wrecked on the section of reef that would later become known as Looe Key Reef.
- 1748 British Warship HMS Fowey wrecked near what is now known as Fowey Rocks.
- 1775 About 400 Frenchmen were reported cannibalized by Colosas Indians near Matacumbe Key (different than current Matacumbe).
- 1800 Captain Anthony Pent & his father William, both born on Vaca Key claim their ancestors settled there in 1800.
- 1815 Island of Key West is given to Juan Pable Salas by the Spanish Government.
- 1819 Spain agrees to cede Florida to the United States, US took formal possession in 1821.
- 1821 New Jersey trader John Simonton purchases Key West from Juan Salas in a Havana bar for $2,000.
- 1822 Florida’s territorial government established.
- 1822 Key West is named, actually a corruption of the Spanish “Cayo Hueso” (Bone Key)
- 1822 Matthew Perry, CO of US Schooner Shark, takes possession of the Island of Key West.
- 1823 US Government dipatches Commodore David Porter to the Keys to rid the coastline of pirates (Blackbeard, JeanLafitte).
- 1828 Census shows that there are 421 inhabitants of Key West & 30+ sloops were then employed by fishing industry.
- 1828 City of Key West official incorporates.
- 1832 John James Audubon arrives in Key West.
- 1844 US Marine Hospital is built in Key West & permanent Army quarters are established on South side of the island.
- 1844 A very destructive hurricane hits both Cuba & Key West; Losses include 158 vessels & 2,500 houses.
- 1846 The 66’ & then later 110’ Key West Lighthouse is built to replace earlier structures that were destroyed in hurricanes.
- 1860 The leading newspaper, “The Key of the Gulf” was forced to flee the island from Union forces for political reasons.
- 1860 Key West is the wealthiest town per capita in the United States.
- 1861 Fort Taylor completed and occupied in Key West.
- 1865 Dr. Samuel Mudd was imprisoned at Fort Jefferson, for allegedly being a “Lincoln Conspirator”
- 1868 Cuban revolution causes thousands of Cubans to emigrate to Key West, spurring cigar industry on the island.
- 1870 Monroe County’s first free pubic school is established in Key West.
- 1873 National recession causes a major wave of unemployment in Key West.
- 1876 Hurricane destroys Key West’s booming salt industry.
- 1878 Cuban Ten Year Civil War ends; Many Cubans return back to Cuba from Key West, leaving Key West a ghost town.
- 1880 Key West’s first Spanish language newspaper, El Yara is founded by Dorores Poyo.
- 1880 Key West is officially Florida’s largest City! (1880 census is reported at 9,890 people)
- 1886 More than 50 buildings are destroyed by Key West’s largest fire believed started by an arsonist at the San Carlos Theater.
- 1889 The third San Carlos building in completed in Key West.
- 1890 Cuban Revolutionary Jose Marti convinces local cigar makers to return to Key West from Cuba, he had union control by 1892
- 1891 Key West City Hall on Greene Street and Monroe County Courthouse at 500 Whitehead Street open.
- 1898 USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, beginning of Spanish American War, many of the dead are buried in KW Cemetary.
- 1907 Key West had 38 licensed saloons.
- 1912 Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad completed to Key West at a cost of $50 million.
- 1913 Native Key Wester Augustin Parla Orduna completes the first solo flight from Key West to Mariel Cuba.
- 1921 The Casa Marina Hotel in Key West was built by the Florida East Coast Railroad.
- 1927 The first commercial flight leaves Key West Airport (called Meacham Field). It was a Pan American Airways flight.
- 1931 Ernest Hemingway moved into the “Asa Tift” House on Whitehead Street.
- 1934 The City of Key West declares bankruptcy, indebtedness exceeded 5 million dollars.
- 1935 Fort Jefferson, at Dry Tortugas is declared a National Monument.
- 1935 The Great Labor Day Hurricane. The most powerful hurricane ever recorded in Northern Hemisphere at 200-250 mph.
- 1935 The Hurricane costs over a thousand lives and destroys the Railroad.
- 1938 The Overseas Highway opened under control of the Overseas Railroad and Toll Commission, $3.6 million price tag.
- 1940 City of Key West adopts it’s first zoning & land ordinances... “never been the same since”.
- 1941 The US Navy & FK Aqueduct Comm. sign agreement to build 130 mile pipeline from FL City to KW, replacing cisterns use.
- 1945 John M. Spottswood, former Sheriff & State Senator, launches WKWF, first commerical radio station.
- 1946 “Little Whitehouse” at Truman Annex in KEy West is converted into a retreat for President Truman (11 visits total)
- 1954 Tolls are removed from the Overseas Highway.
- 1974 The Key West Airport control tower is added.
- 1982 New Seven Mile Bridge opens with a span rising 65 feet over Moser Channel, replacing the damaged swing-bridge.
- 1986 Developer Pritham Singh buys Truman Annex property at federal auction for $17.25 million.
- 1992 Houseboat Row residents given the official eviction notice.
Remember when we said there are no dumb questions?... O.K. maybe there have been a few, here are some:
- “Where can I catch the trolley to the reef?” (it’s 6 miles off-shore).
- “Which way do I go to get to the water?” (we’re on an island).
- “What other roads can I take when I drive back up to Miami?” (There is only one US Highway 1 and one 7 mile bridge).
- Now then... see how nice we are?
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