A few documents of earlier times gives a view into early island life.
There are plenty of storytellers in Key West willing to share with you the island’s vast and fascinating history. We don’t want to duplicate their efforts. Instead, we at Key West Travel Guide are proud to offer early historical accounts, images, and documents related to the island.
Here is a wonderful glimpses into the past of the Florida Keys and Key West.
1513 – Island “discovered” by Ponce de Leon
1538 – Hernando de Soto stops en route to Florida in quest of gold and slaves
1815 – Island granted to Juan Pablo Salas by the Spanish governor of Florida
1821 – Florida becomes a U.S. territory (ceded from Spain)
1822 – Salas sells still-undeveloped island to John Simonton of Mobile for $2000; island become part of the USA
1823 – Commodore David Porter establishes U.S. naval base on island
1825 – First Key West lighthouse built
1828 – City of Key West incorporated
1831 – First cigar factory in Key West
1832 – Episcopal Church, first religious organization, established
1845 – Florida becomes a state; construction begins on Fort Taylor
1846 – Worst hurricane to hit Key West; two lighthouses swept away
1850 – Key West is richest city, per capita, in the U.S.; has wrecking fleet of 50 vessels
1859 – First major fire destroys business area
1861 – Florida secedes from the Union; next four years Key West is strategic blockade and supply base for Union forces
1862 – Construction begins on two Martello towers
1868 – Spain’s new conscription laws result in large Cuban migration
1869 – Key West becomes biggest cigar manufacturing city in U.S.
1886 – Worst fire in history rages for twelve hours and destroys about half the city
1888 – Key West’s cigar industry produces 100 million cigars in one year
1898 – Survivors and injured of the USS Maine brought from Havana to Key West; War with Spain declared; Squadron sails from Key West to blockade Cuba
1905 – Henry Flagler begins contruction on a railroad to connect Key West with mainland Florida
1906 – Major hurricane destroys railroad construction camps
1912 – Overseas Railway completed
1915 – Key West – Havana ferry for rail-cars established
1920 – First international air passenger service, Key West – Havana; First international air mail route established
1921 – Official end of the wrecking era
1927 – Key West airport designated first Airport of Entry in U.S.
1928 – Overseas highway and ferry system, Miami to Key West, opened; Ernest Hemingway first visits Key West
1934 – Key West goes bankrupt – placed under federal and state control for rehabilitation
1935 – Hurricane destroys Overseas railroad
1938 – New Overseas Highway opened
1939 – U.S. Naval Station re-activated
1942 – Water line from mainland completed
1946 – President Truman decides to create “Little White House” in Key West
1954 – Auto-passenger ferry to Havana established
1958 – Old Geiger House becomes first big restoration project
1960 – Havana Auto ceases operation
1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis
1967 – Desalinization Plant completed
1974 – Key West Naval Station disestablished
1975 – Fort Taylor area turned over to State as park site
1976-78 – Major renovation of Duval Street