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: 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...
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: 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...
KEYS HISTORY: EXCLUSIVE COCOLOBO KEY CLUB SAW THE WEALTHY, YACHTS & THE RADIOPHONE
Adams Key is one of nearly 50 islands within the Florida Keys archipelago located north of Key Largo. The island is tucked behind Elliott Key; Caesars Creek...
KEYS HISTORY: ‘COCOLOBO KEY’ HAD A RICH PAST OF PINEAPPLES & A PRIVATE CLUB
Coccoloba diversifolia is a native tree that produces a small reddish-purple fruit that my dog, Beau, likes to eat on our morning walks. Birds and other small...
KEYS HISTORY: MOSQUITOES AND ‘DIABOLITO’ POSED THREATS TO U.S. NAVY’S ANTI-PIRACY UNIT
What was the most dangerous thing facing the fighting men of the anti-piracy unit called the West Indies Squadron? It was not the pirates, but a wee...
KEYS HISTORY: 1850S MIDDLE KEYS WITNESSED DESIRABLE LANDS & A SERIES OF SALES
Last week I wrote about the Middle Keys, or how Key West and the Upper Keys often overshadow the Middle Keys. There is absolutely amazing history in...
KEYS HISTORY: KEY WEST & THE SEMINOLE WAR OVERSHADOWED MIDDLE KEYS
When stories are told about the Florida Keys, Key West gets most of the attention. Given the tremendous history spawned by that little island, it is no...
QUEEN CONCH’S IMPRINT ON THE KEYS SPANS FROM THE MENU TO A FLAG
In the old days, fishing skiffs slowly paddled across the clear Atlantic waters with two fishermen on board. One man slowly paddled while the other dipped a...
