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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Electricity comes to the Keys
John Jay Philbrick established the Key West Electric Company circa 1889. It was the first of its kind in the Florida Keys. Competition
arrived circa 1897 in the...
Monroe County’s changing border
Monroe County became the Florida Territory’s sixth county when it was established in 1823. The county was named after the fifth president of the United States, James...
The Biscayne Aquifer
One of the challenges to living on these islands, both for the Indians who predated Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the New World and the early pioneers who...
