History

Islamorada’s Over-Seas Inn History

The 1935 hurricane struck Upper Matecumbe Key hard being just to the right of eye’s path. Four seriously damaged but recognizable structures remained standing. They were O. D. Kings’ Rustic Inn, the Methodist parsonage, The Hotel  Matecumbe and Leo Johnson’s house. The coral-rock post office was also recognizable by those who knew it before. Therefore, almost nothing was left standing and there was a great toll of human life, but the determined citizens were not to be denied. Houses, a school, post office and the church were rebuilt. This was “home.”

One wooden building was built by Eddie Sweeting using materials provided by FERA and he provided all the labor. It was a two story building, shown at the right, in which they lived in the upper floor and the lower floor was leased to the School Board.  The previously shown coral rock school on the beach was totally destroyed and a school was desperately needed as residents were returning.

The federal government subsidized the building of this wooden structure to replace business destroyed. Material only was provided to Eddy Sweeting to rebuild his grocery store as he wanted a two-story structure. Eddie Sweeting had the building shown to the right ready for occupancy on August 1936.

The above information is from http://www.keyshistory.org/uppermatkey.html

As you can see this building later became the Over-Seas Inn. Do you know what it is now?

Toll Booths in the Florida Keys Past

One of the most blatant of such Keys irregularities involved the Overseas Highway Road and Toll District. When the Overseas Highway to Key West was completed in 1938 toll booths were erected at Lower Matecumbe and Big Pine Key and a toll was collected from all traffic entering this section of the highway from either direction. These funds went to the Overseas Road and Toll Commission ostensibly for maintenance of the road. The Commission refurbished the former railroad maintenance village of Pigeon Key as a headquarters and a de facto country club for the commissioners and their political cronies. This continued until in 1952 when a scandal and investigation over use of the toll revenues ensued. The result was that Keys residents were issued permits exempting them from the toll. Local interest in the matter evaporated and the toll continued to be collected from the ever growing number of visitors for three more years. Then it somehow came to light that the road maintenance had become a state responsibility and the Overseas Road and Toll District Commission had for some time no longer had a function other than continuing to operate Pigeon Key solely as a recreational facility for the Commissioners. The Commission was reluctantly closed down and another investigation ensued but where the toll funds had gone was never determined. Maintaining a private tool booth on U.S. Highway 1 is not a bad scam if one can get away with it and they did.

Excerpt from http://www.goldendolphin.com/WASdisk/history/history.htm

Key Largo Pennekamp Lecture Series Begins Jan. 13, 2010

The annual “Delicate Balance of Nature” free weekly lecture series will begin its 19th season at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Visitor Center inside John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Mile Marker 102.5 ocean side.”The topics range from pythons and native Keys snakes, to birds of the Keys, from ethnobotany to the Overseas Heritage Trail history,” Park Manager Pat Wells said.

Park gates will reopen after hours at 7 p.m. and remain open as long as there are seats in the auditorium, which is wheelchair accessible. Seating is limited, so be on time; bring a seat cushion for added comfort. The program is sponsored by Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. For more information, call Elena Muratori at 305-451-1202.

Pirate Black Caesar Returns to Key Largo

KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — According to history and legend, the pirate Black Caesar roved Florida’s coastal waters in the early 19th century. According to the organizers of the Key Largo Pirates Festival, set for October 23-25, the notorious pirate will make a comeback during the festival.

The festivities are to kick off Friday, Oct. 23, with a parade down U.S. Highway 1. The procession is expected to gather at 5:30 p.m. along Caribbean Drive, ending at the Holiday Inn Tiki Bar, mile marker (MM) 100 oceanside — not far from the place where Black Caesar is thought to have maintained a harem and buried treasure worth millions of dollars.

Float judging and a costume contest are to begin at the Tiki Bar at 7 p.m., along with a Pirate Bash on the Bay with live music. Tickets for the bash are $20 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Those eager to come face-to-face with the fearsome pirate — or at least his modern-day stand-in — are likely to do so Saturday, Oct. 24, from noon to 11 p.m. at MM 104 bayside. Caesar and his buccaneer brethren might be spotted haunting the Pirate Bazaar and Thieves’ Market, set to begin at noon at the Big Chill, Sundowners, Cactus Jacks & Señor Frijoles. Pirate paraphernalia, memorabilia and art are to be among the attractions for attendees.

Also Saturday, scallywags are to take to the high seas for underwater treasure hunts and an underwater poker tournament. Along with an above-water contest open to the public, the underwater action is part of a three-day Pirates’ Poker Challenge that coincides with the festival.

For nongambling types, a concert on the water on Blackwater Sound commences at 2 p.m. off Sundowners and the Big Chill bayside complex.

The pillaging and plundering is to intensify at 6 p.m. as pirates invade Key Largo in a professionally choreographed re-enactment of Black Caesar’s return — complete with artillery line, encampments, battles and skits on Blackwater Sound.

Like the concert, these can be viewed from Sundowners and the Big Chill. Grog, grooves and golden treasure are to abound as the bazaar continues well past the blasts of festive fireworks set for 9 p.m.

The action Sunday, Oct. 25, is to include Black Caesar’s By-Land-or-Sea Poker Run beginning at 11 a.m. at Sundowners, MM 104. Pirates are expected to hit ports of call such as the Bayside Grille, Snappers, Mandalay, Pilot House, Coconuts and Gilbert’s Resort.

Key Largo Pirates Festival organizers also plan to host The Good, The Bad & The Ugly costume contest at a location yet to be determined. Prizes await the sexiest and scariest pirates, best buccaneer and best wench. In addition, revelers can enter conveyances including bikes, cars and boats in a contest for best-decorated conveyance.

The pirate festival is to culminate in a Buccaneer Finale at the Caribbean Club, MM 104 bayside. Attendees can expect to find wild-eyed pirates jiving to live music and imbibing the island’s grub and grog before the climactic handing over of the loot.

For a complete parade route and more festival information, visit www.keylargopiratesfest.com or call Sue Finney at (305) 394-3736.

For information on area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at (800) 822-1088 or (305) 451-4747, or visit the official Florida Keys & Key West Web site at www.fla-keys.com

Islamorada Historical Bicycle Tour

10 AM to 12 Noon, Every Saturday & Sunday
Hurricane Monument @ 81.6 mm
(305) 879-0390

Agenda Summery

The tour is approx 6 miles, with frequent stops. This is not a race and we will go at a comfortable pace.
Bring your own bike. If you don’t have one, ask your concierge or contact Back Country Cowboy 305-517-4177 backcountrycowboy.com for rates.

The tour is free. If you would like, a donation will be collected for local youth sport program
Bring water and use sun screen.

Florida Keys History – January

Railroad Arrives on Key West

On January 22, 1912, the nearly twenty thousand residents of the city of Key West, Florida, located on a small island some 128 miles south of the Florida peninsula, observed the completion of an overseas rail connection to the mainland. The Florida East Coast Railway served the island until 1935, when it was destroyed by a hurricane. It was replaced in 1938 by the Overseas Highway, built on the foundation of the old railroad bed. This system of forty-two bridges, which connects the Florida Keys to the mainland, is one of the longest over-water roads in the world.

Henry Flagler arrived in his private car, “Moultrie.” The Overseas Extension of the Florida East Coast system spanned 127.84 miles from Homestead to Key West. Seventy-five miles were over marsh or water. The longest viaduct of the system, between Knights Key and Bahia Honda Key, covered seven miles. Building the extension from Miami to key West required a labor force of 3-4,000 men and seven years of work. The railroad extension was abandoned after the destructive hurricane of 1935, but was eventually adapted for use as a major highway.

This photo show most of the Key West residents who turned out for this historic event. Click on it to get a better view.

FKEC Born

Born partly of dreams, necessity and visionary genius, the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative Association, Inc. (FKECA) was certified by the Florida Secretary of State on January 22, 1940 with an office address of the “Marathon Grocery, Marathon, Florida.” It had its first board meeting four days later and John A. Russell of Islamorada was elected chairperson.

First Big Pine Key Land Deed

The first patented land deed was issued January 25, 1882 to William F. Wood. Most folks were homesteaders or squatters. It was first surveyed for the State of Florida on March 21, 1873. Homesteading was allowed all the way up to the late 1920′s. Florida became a state in 1845. Land was given for selling to residents, for building railroads, and homesteading. The state collected just over $2,000 from the sell of the land on Big Pine Key. Today the same land is worth more than one billion dollars.

Key West Incorporated