Historic Fun Facts About Key West

Nicknamed the Conch Republic, the history of Key West is as colorful as the Mallory Square sunsets that keep guests coming back time and time again to this quirky beach town. Whether it’s welcoming famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Judy Blume or its early days as a leader in the shipwreck recovery industry, there are tons of historic fun facts in Key West to explore. Read on and learn more about this island oasis with endless sunshine and sandy coastlines. Your journey to delve into Key West, FL history begins!

How familiar are you with the history of Key West? Discovered in 1513 by Juan Ponce de León as he was searching for the Fountain of Youth, Key West was originally inhabited by Calusa Indians and later called Cayo Hueso, which translates to “Bone Island” in English. In August of 1815, Key West, FL history continued with the island being granted to Juan Pablo Salas by the then Spanish governor of Florida, Don Juan de Estrada.

Of course, Key West history doesn’t end there. After hundreds of years of Spanish rule, a man from Alabama named John W. Simonton bought the island in 1821 for $2,000. One year later, it was claimed for the United States as part of the ceded territory from Spain. By 1832, Key West, FL history continued, with the island becoming a full-fledged American city complete with a post office, court, deep water port and cigar factory.

Today, Key West fun facts always include a Jimmy Buffett reference or two. The American singer-songwriter, a huge Key West influence since the early 1970s, is known for tunes such as “Margaritaville” and “Come Monday.” Another long-running Key West history icon is Fantasy Fest, a 10-day party in paradise for grown-ups, which has been celebrated just as long as the Conch Republic Independence celebrations, the island’s response to a 1982 federal overreach.

When Ponce de León landed in Key West in 1513, he called it “Cayo Hueso” (“Bone Island” in English) because many believed that the bones of native Calusa Indians were scattered about the beach. English speakers confused the name with Key West — thus, the island’s name today.

One of the most notable American writers of our time, Ernest Hemingway spent decades living in Key West. He and his wife, Pauline, renovated an 1851 Spanish Colonial, which is now known as The Hemingway Home and Museum, an attraction near a stop on the popular Conch Tour Train, and an important mark in the history of Key West.

When visiting the museum, keep an eye out for approximately 60 polydactyl cats that live there! The story goes that Hemingway befriended a sea captain who owned an unusual six-toed cat, which he was fond of. When the captain left Key West, he gifted the cat to Hemingway, and the history of Key West continues.

Did you know that the Conch Republic is home to Naval Air Station Key West, located on Boca Chica Key? The locale is known for perfect flying weather and unparalleled aerial ranges. The facility is also home to the prestigious U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School.

Known as the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, this powerful storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, killed around 500 people, and even derailed the Florida East Coast Railway trains. With storm surge hitting 18 to 20 feet, this hurricane from the history of Key West sure did pack a punch!

While sometimes the tourists can outnumber the locals, interestingly enough, over 99.9 percent of the county’s population lives in the Florida Keys. And Monroe County, named for James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, is the largest county in Florida by total area. Our Key West history fun facts continue.

At just over 1.25 miles in length, Duval Street offers live music, art galleries, boutiques and great restaurants, and runs north and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. And, according to the history of Key West archives, it was also named for William Pope Duval, the first territorial governor of Florida, adding even more interesting tidbits on our journey through Key West, FL history.

Leapfrogging from key to key over the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the Overseas Highway boasts 42 bridges linking 44 islands. One of the most scenic highways in the world, this 113-mile stretch of roadway runs from Key Largo to Key West.

Connecting Knight’s Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys, the Seven Mile Bridge is the longest bridge in the Keys. The new version of the bridge was finished in 1982 and is much more modern (and safe) than its 1912 counterpart, adding to the engineering marvels that are part of Key West history fun facts.

Interestingly, in 1965, the U.S. Navy constructed Tank Island to serve as a fuel tank depot during the Cold War. In 1986, the government sold the island to a developer, who dismantled the tanks and turned it into a private residential neighborhood and resort island. More fun Key West history!

Touted as “America’s favorite citrus celebration!,” the annual Key Lime Festival in Key West offers a ton of fun activities, such as Key Lime Cocktail Sip & Stroll, Key Lime Pie Hop, Mile High Key Lime Pie Eatin’ Contest, rum sampling, a scavenger hunt and more.

Easily the most interesting secessionist movement since the Civil War is that of the Conch Republic. In 1982, the mayor of Key West declared independence as a response to a U.S. Border Patrol blockade of the Florida Keys. The independence didn’t stick, but the nickname sure did, going down in the history of Key West as a favorite fun fact.

Although Key West is the most populated and economically developed of the islands, it is, in fact, not the Westernmost, which is another historical fun fact about Key West for the books. Geographically speaking, the island that stretches the farthest west is actually the uninhabited yet visited Loggerhead Key within the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dubbed the Harry S. Truman Little White House, the former president’s Key West abode is in the quaint Truman Annex neighborhood of Old Town, which was the winter residence for Truman and his family. Today, it is a Key West history museum near a stop on the Conch Tour Train. Let’s continue on our journey through Key West, FL history

Located in Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park was built between 1845 and 1866 and houses the largest cache of Civil War armament in the world. This National Historic Monument features a state park and Key West history galore.

Founded in 1927 and commonly referred to as Pan Am, Pan American Airways was the brainchild of two former U.S. Army Air Corps majors. It started as an airmail and passenger service flying between Key West and Havana, Cuba. Unfortunately, the airline that is a part of Key West’s history ceased operations in December of 1991.

Did you know that U.S. Lighthouse Service Keeper Barbara Mabrity, of Key West history fame, was one of the first female lighthouse keepers? When her husband died of yellow fever, Barbara was appointed as lighthouse keeper, which meant around-the-clock supervision on top of raising her six kids. Another female force in Key West, FL history.