It’s exciting to write that volume 3 of my “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli” book series is now available.
With each book, I’ve worked to create a deeper understanding of the island chain so many people love (and some of us are lucky enough to call home). These islands are a great place to escape, watch the sunset and have a slice of Key lime pie, but there is tremendous history, too.
I chose to call volume 3 “The Conch Tales” because conch, in all its forms, became a recurring theme throughout the book’s eight chapters. They are filled with unexpected local history, including a story about Strombus gigas, the queen conch, why the state shell is a conch imposter, Conch culture, and everyone’s favorite micro-nation, the Conch Republic.
One of my favorites is a 16th-century story about a shipwrecked Spanish boy who washed ashore in the Keys and lived with the Calusa Indians for 17 years. There are stories about dog-sized deer, treasure hunting, sponge pirates, the No Name Pub, the conch fritters at Alabama Jack’s, a bat tower and so much more. The book ends with A Jimmy Buffett Tribute Story, where I share how his music influenced my life and why I may or may not have a reason to feel connected to the last shows he played in Key West — spoiler alert, I do.
Watching the series evolve has been interesting because these are not the books I came to the Florida Keys to write. In 2001, when I moved to Plantation Key, I came to finish the island novel I started in graduate school. At first, I did work on it. However, my path forked, I opened a door — took a peek at the local history — and stumbled down a rabbit hole that turned out to be velveteen.
It was my first paying gig as a writer that got the history ball rolling. I was hired as a staff writer for the Florida Scuba News. Once a month, I wrote an article about someone or something related to the dive community in the Florida Keys. The first story I was ever paid to write was about one of the last great local pirates, Carl Fismer.
That gig opened the door to my first book deal with the University Press of Florida.
“Snorkeling Florida” was a guidebook to 50 snorkeling spots around the state. While researching the snorkeling sites in the Keys, I discovered that every dive captain, mate and local had their own story about the area’s shipwrecks and how the coral reefs came upon their names. Hearing all the different stories, I became curious and started to do a little investigating.
Ever since, it’s been all about the Florida Keys history hole. When that first book led to the follow-up, “Snorkeling the Florida Keys,” its working title was “Snorkeling into History” because I focused on a great deal of the history behind some of the island chain’s best snorkeling sites. I also partnered with Jerry Wilkinson to write two books for Arcadia Publishing and their Images of America series, “Key Largo” and “Islamorada.” Those books and the history columns I started writing for the now-defunct The Reporter newspaper led to the second fork in my path I never saw coming.
For eight years, I had the privilege of creating a museum from scratch. During my time as the curator at Islamorada’s Keys History & Discovery Center, I developed the history exhibits on the facility’s first floor and the Cuban refugee boat history outside. When I chose to leave that position, and it was a difficult choice to make, I developed my “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli” platform. It is one of the best things I’ve ever done — thank you for the push, Jill Miranda Baker.
What started as a Facebook group grew into something bigger and faster than I could have imagined; it was not a horrible thing to watch happen. Based on the group’s popularity, I decided to write the first “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli.” Understanding there were a bunch of stories to tell, I offered it as volume 1.
In volume 1, among other stories, I shared my favorite Florida Keys love story, the one between Ed and Fern Butters. As a bonus, the history of the island chain’s favorite dessert, Key lime pie, is intertwined with their story. In volume 2, I explored the history of piracy in the Florida Keys and took a super deep dive into the legendary pirate, Black Caesar.
With each volume, the goal has been to share fascinating local history and tell better stories. It has been interesting watching each book evolve. When I started working on volume 3, I wasn’t sure where it was headed, but I’m sure happy with where it went. “The Conch Tales” is a little longer and a little more personal than the first two. Also, it might be my best collection yet.
“The Conch Tales,” as well as volumes 1 and 2, can be found in Key Largo at the Florida Keys Visitor Center (MM 106) and Shell World (MM 97); in Islamorada at the Kayak Shack at Robbie’s Marina (77.5); on Cudjoe Key, at Mary Jane’s Closet (MM 27); and, in Key West at Key West Island Books, Fort East Martello Museum, Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum, and the Oldest House Museum.
My books are notably missing from the Middle Keys. If you have a retail space that would like to carry my titles, please reach out. In the meantime, you can help support my work and local history by checking out my Facebook group, picking up a copy of one of my books, and continuing to read my column in the Keys Weekly, because local history matters and I am having a tremendous time sharing it.
