Wiregrass Seniors Magazine July 2018 JULY ISSUE | 页面 5

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The Key West History
Page 5
Key West, or Cayo Hueso (Island of Bones) was
discovered by Ponce de Leon, named Las Martines
and claimed by Spain in 1513.
In 1815 Don Juan de Estrada granted Key West to
Juan Pablo Salas for meritorious service to the
crown.
John W. Simonton, from Alabama, bought the is-
land from Salas for $2,000 in 1821. Lt. M.C. Perry,
USN took possession of the island in 1822 and
claimed it for the United States as part of the ceded
territory from Spain.
In 1823 Key West was claimed a port of entry to the
United States, the first customs house was opened
and the first Naval Depot was established. The Ma-
rines came in 1824 and the Army came in 1831.
Throughout the history of the Florida Keys, the
deepwater port of Key West attracted pirates such
as Blackbeard and Jean LaFitte. Piracy in the Car-
ibbean became such a problem that Commodore
David Porter was dispatched to end it in 1822, us-
ing Key West has a home port. Wrecking and sal-
vage became a principal occupation of the island-
ers.
In 1828, Co ngress established the Superior Court
of the Southern Judicial District of Florida at Key
West, which allows salvage court to be held in Key
West, as previously it had to be held in St. August-
ine. This allowed for a growing salvage industry and
increase in population of the island.
The 1846 hurricane destroyed much of Key West
and in the 1850’s, a series of lighthouses were
erected along the reef from a point near Key Largo
to Key West. The marking of the dangerous reef al-
lowed for safe navigation of the waters in the Keys
and caused the salvage industry to decline.
Sponging, fishing and farming of pineapples, Key
limes, tomatoes and melons were a mainstay on the
Keys, while Key West enjoyed it’s “Metropolitan” fla-
vor, military support, deep water port and industrial
life of the cigar makers.
Between 1863 and 1886, the San Carlos Institute
was established and Cubans began migrating to the
United States through Key West, which continued
to be a wealthy and prosperous city. Then, in 1886
half of the city was again destroyed, this time by fire.
In 1904, Henry Flagler began his Overseas Railroad
to Key West. It was completed in 1912. Key West
prospered as trainloads of wealthy northerners
would come to stay on Key West, at the exclusive
resort Flagler had built. The current Customs House
and Federal Building were completed in 1913.
The Great Depression in the 1930’s put Key West
into impoverishment. Rehabilitation was begun by
In 1829 Key West got its first post office and in 1831
William H. Hall established the first American cigar
factory in Key West and in 1832, Key West became
a full-fledged city.
The military constructed Fort Taylor in 1845 and in
1846 began Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, 60
miles off Key West. Interestingly enough during the
Civil War the Southernmost City in the United States
remained in the hands of the Union.
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