a bunch of fruit hanging from a tree

KEYS HISTORY: THE ISLAND CHAIN BEARS A VARIETY OF FRUITS

One of the best early accounts of aboriginal life in the Florida Keys was in a memoir by Hernando De Escalante Fontaneda. As a boy, Fontaneda was...
the logo for a local park

KEYS HISTORY: STORIES OF SOUTHERNMOST SKUNK APE

When you write a book about a local cryptid called the Skunk Ape, stories find you.  The Skunk Ape is Florida’s Bigfoot and a legendary presence in South...
a very tall building with a sky background

KEYS HISTORY: LOWER KEYS BAT TOWER WAS A ROADSIDE ATTRACTION

In 1879, Richter Clyde Perky was born to parents living in Denver, Colorado. The boy grew up, moved east and began dealing in the South Florida and...
a newspaper article with a picture of a man and a woman

KEYS HISTORY: WIFE OF RIGHTER PERKY MADE HER OWN NEWS

Helen Nellie Davis was no wallflower. She was born on Dec. 11, 1879, in Baltimore. Because her story is more interesting and complicated than can be told...
a black and white photo of a building with a skull on it

KEYS HISTORY: COIN DISCOVERIES SEND KEYS INTO A FRENZY

Stumbling upon an old story of buried treasure is always a thrill. Stumbling upon a real buried treasure would be super cool, but that requires a different...
a painting of a man with a box in his mouth

KEYS HISTORY: LACKLUSTER PROPERTY SALES LED TO A CONTRIVED TREASURE HUNT STORY

J.P. McEvoy was an American writer, novelist and cartoonist. He was born on Jan. 10, 1897, in New York City. One of the movies based on his...
a rusted boat sitting on top of a sandy beach

KEYS HISTORY: HISTORIC SCHOONER DRY DOCKED ON STOCK ISLAND HAS SEEN BETTER DAYS

Last week, I drove down to Stock Island from the Sioux Street office on Plantation Key. I should have driven over the Cow Key Channel Bridge, into...
a man and a woman sitting on a bench

KEYS HISTORY: THE FATHER OF MARATHON

After almost two years working on the property, Robbie’s of Islamorada feels homey. The vibe is one of the reasons I picked it as the place to...