Long Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys . Long Key was called Cayo Víbora (Rattlesnake Key) by early Spanish explorers, a reference to the shape of the island, which resembles a snake with its jaws open, rather than to its denizens. The city of Layton is located on Long Key. The 965-acre (3.9 km ) state park (3.9 km ) was dedicated October 1, 1969.
4-519: Long Key Fishing Camp was established on Long Key in Florida in 1908 by Henry M. Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railway Company for the use of tourists to enjoy what was described as "some of the best fishing in the world". It initially served as housing for some of the employees who were building the Overseas Railroad to Key West . Long Key Fishing Camp featured a two-story hotel and
8-631: A number of cottages. The camp was made famous by author Zane Grey , who was a regular resident, and a pioneer of the sport of sail fishing. Grey became the first president of the Long Key Fishing Club in 1917. The list of early distinguished guests included Herbert Hoover , Franklin Roosevelt , Andrew Mellon , Charles Kettering , and other notables. The fishing camp was destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 , as
12-411: The home of Long Key State Park , a favorite of campers and nature lovers, the camp sites are on the beach but the proximity of US1 makes it noisy. It is smaller and less developed than the neighboring incorporated village of Islamorada to the northeast and city of Marathon to the southwest. It was visited by C.W. Pierce in his boat, Bonton (1885). He stopped at the lower end of the key where there
16-533: Was the Overseas Railroad. After the latter was destroyed, the Overseas Highway ( U.S. 1 ), was built across Long Key in replacement. 24°49′34″N 80°48′50″W / 24.826°N 80.814°W / 24.826; -80.814 Long Key U.S. 1 (or the Overseas Highway ) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 65.5--71, between Fiesta Key and Conch Key . It is
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