KEYS HISTORY: THE RISE & FALL OF COCOLOBO CAY CLUB ON ADAMS KEYS
Carl Fisher was synonymous with land development in South Florida during Florida’s land boom in the 1920s. He also knew a thing or two about promotion.
When he...
NAME GAME: LIKE THE ISLANDS, LOCAL THOROUGHFARES ALSO HAVE SOME HISTORY
One thing I love about my Facebook group “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli” is the comments. The group has attracted thousands of members, many of whom...
KEYS HISTORY: ARRIVAL OF FRESH WATER BROUGHT RELIEF TO THE ISLAND CHAIN
Back in March, there was a disruption in the flow of fresh water through the Florida Keys when a series of cracks erupted in the pipes buried...
HISTORICAL NUGGETS: PRESENTATION SPONSORS SOUGHT FOR TALKS
My birthday was on June 4, and man, the years are flying by. For the record, every year gets better and better. It is hard to believe...
KEYS HISTORY: FLAGER’S ARRIVAL TO SOUTHERNMOST CITY DIDN’T MARK AN END TO RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION
The right-of-way for the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway approached the Florida Keys along what is now called the 18-Mile Stretch. It...
KEYS HISTORY: WHAT WENT BEHIND THE NAMING OF SUGARLOAF?
Sugarloaf Key was once famously home to the Perky Bat Tower. In 1929, Richter Clyde Perky thought the wooden tower would become home to a colony of...
KEYS HISTORY: ISLAMORADA LIBRARY WAS MORE THAN BOOK SHELVES
Inside and out, the Islamorada branch of the Monroe County Library offers a book-full of local history and more. One of Islamorada’s cultural gems, the historic building...
KEYS HISTORY: FILLING THE GAPS FOR FLAGLER’S RAILROAD TRACKS
The Bahia Honda railroad bridge is one of the iconic sights in the Florida Keys.
Because of its truss design, and the way it was elevated over the...
KEYS HISTORY: FLORIDA’S SIXTH COUNTY IS BORN 200 YEARS AGO
Mathew Perry planted the American flag at Key West in 1822. Commodore David Porter was instructed to establish a military depot on the island the following year...
KEYS HISTORY: WRECKING, SPONGING & CIGAR ROLLING WERE THRIVING INDUSTRIES ON THE ISLANDS
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a four-part series on Monroe County’s 200th year.
When the second escalation of the Seminole War erupted in 1835, fear spread...
