Brad Bertelli

Brad Bertelli is a respected historian, author, speaker, and Honorary Conch based in the Florida Keys. Since arriving on Plantation Key in 2001, he has dedicated over 20 years to researching and interpreting the history of the island chain. Brad has published 10 books, including his acclaimed series Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli (Volumes 1, 2, and 3), with Volume 4, The Great Florida Keys Road Trip, forthcoming. For regular updates on local history, you are invited to join the Facebook group “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli.” To learn more, please visit: www.bradbertelli.com.

KEYS HISTORY: CONTROVERSIAL CHECKPOINT BY FEDS LEADS TO CONCH REPUBLIC FORMATION

All hail the Conch Republic, a shelltastic micronation culled from the drastic need for some serious media spin.  It was 1982, and the war on...

KEYS HISTORY: NOVELIST DETAILS BLACK CAESAR SECRETS

A story republished in “The Jackson Standard” on April 22, 1858 is one of the oldest on record that addresses a pirate named Black...

KEYS HISTORY: ‘ALLIGATOR’ LIBERATES SHIPS FROM PIRATES

The U.S. Schooner Alligator cultivated a rich story over its short life. It begins in the Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston, where the 86-foot...

KEYS HISTORY: LANTERN FUEL PUTS LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS LIVES AT RISK

The story reprinted in the Boston Globe on Nov. 22, 1896, originally appeared in the New York Sun. Jacob Bethel was visiting New York...

KEYS HISTORY: SAND KEY LIGHTHOUSE SAVED LIVES & MARKS THE DECLINE IN WRECKING INDUSTRY

The Havana Hurricane of 1846 is thought to be the first recorded Category 5 hurricane to strike Cuba. As the storm crossed the Straits...

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