Richard Fitzpatrick left lasting impact
While the name Richard Fitzpatrick might not sound familiar, it is a name associated with significant change in the Florida Keys. To say his work was far-reaching...
How Key lime got here
After last week’s Key lime pie controversy – whether the tart delight was invented in the Florida Keys – reached not just a fevered pitch, but a...
Matecumbe Historical Trust inherits landmark
On Aug. 22, at 1:30 p.m., the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce transferred the Keys of ownership to the red Caboose to the Matecumbe Historical Trust, which officially...
Protecting manatees
The order of mammals known as Sirenia was named for the mythical Greek creatures whose songs lured sailors to their demise. What might not be known about...
An early account of Natives in the Keys
Hernando D’Escalante Fontaneda was born in Cartagena, Colombia circa 1535. At 13, passage was booked for him and his brother aboard a ship bound for Spain. The...
How long is the Overseas Highway?
It seems like a straightforward question: How long is the Overseas Highway? It is not, at least according to countless travel guides and magazine articles, printing numbers...
The Coontie
Maranta arundinacea is a West Indian botanical that produces tubular underground growths called rhizomes. When harvested and processed, these rhizomes produce a starchy powder that is sold...
AN AMAZING ‘SLIDE SHOW’
With more storms brewing in the Atlantic, the last thing locals want or need is an exhaustive account of last year’s natural disaster. With that in mind,...
Lightships before lighthouses
The Adams-Onis Treaty incorporated the Florida Territory into the growing United States. The rights to the Florida Reef were also part of the treaty when, though signed...
Masons’ time capsule retrieved before elementary school demolished
Before the final demolition of Stanley Switlik Elementary takes place, the Marathon Mason Lodge 323 helped excavate a time capsule buried in 1971 in one of the...
