Key West

Key West, Florida: The southernmost point of the continental United States, Key West has one of the most colorful histories of the south. The laid back island of today was once the site of a nation succession and a prominent military occupation through many of the major wars.

The five and a quarter square mile island of Key West was originally inhabited by Calusa Indians. They lived here until Spanish occupation in the early 1500’s.

Juan Ponce de Leon was the first settler to land in Key West in 1521. The Spanish established the settlement of Cayo Hueso which translated to Bone Island for the numerous Calusa Indian bones found on the island. The Spanish established a fishing village on the island

The Spanish controlled the island until 1761 when Great Britain took over. The Spanish settlers and remaining Calusa tribe were relocated to Cuba. Great Britain remained in control of the island for twenty years before being transferred back to the Spanish.

The island was eventually transferred to the United States following the independence and it was sold to John Simonton in 1821 for $2,000 pesos. Simonton would divide the island up into plots and sold them to John Mountain, John Whitehead and John Flemming who would help develop the property.

By the 1830’s, many of the island residents were from the Bahamas. The immigrants were known as Conchs which led to the nickname of the island. A nickname this still lives today as all native Key West residents are referred to as Conchs as well as the high school athletic teams being names the Fighting Conchs.

The island thrived on fishing and wreck salvaging. Because of the shallow waters and coral reefs, many ships have wreck offshore of Key West. Crews would patrol the coastlines looking for wrecks to salvage. The goods would be auctioned off with the salvaging crews keeping a percentage of the profits. The success of the salvage led to Key West being named wealthiest town in the United States in the 1860’s.

Key West was also a crucial military outpost throughout its history. The Navy moved into the island in 1822 when Lt. Matthew Perry established operations. The initial objective of the Navy was to control piracy and oversea the huge salvage operations.

It was also a major player in the Civil War. Despite Florida joining the confederacy, Key West remain a Union stronghold. They constructed several forts to help secure the island, including Fort Zachary Taylor, East and West Martello Towers and Fort Jefferson. The port of Key West became the base operations for the Union Blockade and all blockage runners were impounded in the Harbor.

The island also played a main part in the Spanish-American Wars, both the World Wars and the Cold War. Military presence is still felt on the island as the Navy and Coast Guard maintains bases on the island.

Key West began to grow once it was connected to the mainland by rail. In 1912, Henry Flagler ran the Overseas Railway into the island and the growth began. When the rails were destroyed by hurricane in 1935, the government replaced it with a highway. The Overseas Highway was the major introduction of tourism to the island.

In addition to everyday tourists, the island has seen its fair share of celebrities. President Harry Truman made eleven visits to the island during his presidency and his home “Little White House” is open to the public today as Florida’s only presidential museum. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight D Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have all visited the island. Ernest Hemmingway, Jimmy Buffett and Tennessee Williams are a few writers and musicians that have spent time in Key West and were inspired by the island for their work.

Between the over 800,000 cruise passengers that passed through the ports to the estimated three million visitors that stay at the many lovely accommodations on the island, tourism fuels the Key West economy. Some are drawn my the mild weather, others by the small town charm. But with all the museums, pubs, beaches and attractions the island has to offer, there is definitely something for the entire family.

For more photos from the island, visit my Key West photo gallery.