76-484: The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is located at 200 Greene Street, Key West , Florida . The museum contains an extensive collection of artifacts from 17th century shipwrecks, such as the Henrietta Marie , Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita . Also included are the shipwrecks and artifacts of The Santa Clara, a Conquistador-era galleon (1564), The Guerrero & Nimble. A rotating gallery exists on
152-524: A U.S. businessman John W. Simonton, during a meeting in a Havana café on January 19, 1822, for the equivalent of $ 2,000 in pesos in 1821. Geddes tried in vain to secure his rights to the property before Simonton who, with the aid of some influential friends in Washington, was able to gain clear title to the island. Simonton had wide-ranging business interests in Mobile, Alabama . He bought the island because
228-532: A friend, John Whitehead, had drawn his attention to the opportunities presented by the island's strategic location. John Whitehead had been stranded in Key West after a shipwreck in 1819 and he had been impressed by the potential offered by the deep harbor of the island. The island was indeed considered the " Gibraltar of the West" because of its strategic location on the 90-mile (140 km)–wide deep shipping lane,
304-515: A greenway linking existing and planned trails into a contiguous "spine route" between Atlantic coast cities. In summer 1992, the ECGA sent nine cyclists from Boston , New York City, Vermont , and Washington, D.C. , on a 30-day "exploratory" cycle tour . In 1993, tours went along the route to explore options and promote the idea of the greenway. In 1994, the first promotional tour took place from Maine to Washington, D.C. "East Coast Greenway" became
380-587: A landfill at Trumbo Point for his railyards. The 1919 Florida Keys hurricane caused catastrophic damage to the area. On December 25, 1921, Manuel Cabeza was lynched by members of the Ku Klux Klan for living with a black woman. Pan American Airlines was founded in Key West, originally to fly visitors to Havana, in 1926. The airline contracted with the United States Postal Service in 1927 to deliver mail to and from Cuba and
456-399: A ride by Wil Hylton brought national attention to the greenway. The entire spine route was finalized and mapped in 2008. The accessibility of the trail expanded with support of the states, and more events were held each year. In 2020, the route reached over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of completed off-road greenway. Efforts to increase the amount of off-road routes are continuing. In 2020
532-588: A shark cage. The earliest Key West neighborhoods, on the western part of the island, are broadly known as Old Town . The Key West Historic District includes the major tourist destinations of the island, including Mallory Square , Duval Street, the Truman Annex , and Fort Zachary Taylor . Old Town is where the classic bungalows and guest mansions are found. Bahama Village , southwest of Whitehead Street, features houses, churches, and sites related to its Afro-Bahamian history. The Meadows , lying northeast of
608-463: A total land area of 4.2 square miles (11 km ). Within Florida, it is 130 miles (210 km) southwest of Miami by air, about 165 miles (266 km) by road. Key West is approximately 95 miles (153 km) north of Cuba at their closest points, and 106 miles (171 km) north-northeast of Havana . The city of Key West is the county seat of Monroe County , which includes a majority of
684-1126: A trademark in 1995. The first five trail segments were designated in 1996. These segments were the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail in Maryland , the Charter Oak Greenway in Connecticut , the Coventry Greenway in Rhode Island , the Farmington Canal Greenway in Connecticut, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail in New Jersey . These trails make up 56 miles (90 km) of the greenway. Between 1997 and 2000, about 150 miles (240 km) of trail segments were designated throughout
760-581: A valid driver's license. Havre de Grace is after the bridge, followed by Harford County , Monkton , and Cockeysville . Next, riders travel south through Baltimore and then on to Annapolis before finishing the 166-mile (267 km) stretch of greenway in Hyattsville and entering Washington, D.C. About 32 percent of the route is off-road. The trail splits in Bladensburg, Maryland , just before it reaches Washington, D.C. Travelers can follow
836-899: Is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. Key West is the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1 – the longest north–south road in the United States, as well as State Road A1A , the East Coast Greenway and, before 1935, the Florida East Coast Railway . Key West is a port of call for passenger cruise ships . The Key West International Airport provides airline service. Naval Air Station Key West
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#1732797974426912-720: Is 25% off-road at this time. The state designated the greenway as a part of its State Trail System . The 270-mile (430 km) trail travels along South Carolina 's coast through Myrtle Beach , Georgetown , Charleston , and Beaufort . The route is 15% off-road, with 20% more in development. Greenway riders in Georgia will use the Coastal Georgia Greenway to travel from South Carolina to Florida. The route travels through Savannah , Richmond Hill , Midway , Riceboro , Darien , Brunswick , Woodbine , Kingsland , and St. Marys . The 160-mile (260 km) route
988-549: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida , within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key , Fleming Key , Sunset Key , and the northern part of Stock Island , it constitutes the City of Key West . The island of Key West is about 4 miles (6 kilometers) long and 1 mile (2 km) wide, with
1064-404: Is an important year-round training site for naval aviation due to the tropical weather, which is also the reason Key West was chosen as the site of President Harry S. Truman 's Winter White House . The central business district is located along Duval Street and includes much of the northwestern corner of the island. At various times before the 19th century, people who were related or subject to
1140-637: Is off-road; the downtown area offers no off-road option. Leaving Washington, D.C. , travelers pick up the Mount Vernon Trail to Mount Vernon , head towards Fredericksburg on the Potomac Heritage Trail , and continue on to the state capital of Richmond . At this point, the greenway splits: the 300-mile (480 km) spine route (16% off-road) continues southwest to the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The alternate route,
1216-520: Is only 6% off-road but has another 14% in development. There are 41 miles (66 km) of gaps, but efforts are being made to connect the route. The Florida section of the ECG starts in Fernandina Beach and travels south along the coast through small beach towns and major cities, such as Jacksonville and Miami . The route continues down through islands and bridges to the southernmost point of
1292-402: Is said that the island was littered with the remains (bones) of prior native inhabitants, who used the isle as a communal graveyard. This island was the westernmost Key with a reliable supply of water. Between 1763, when Great Britain took control of Florida from Spain, and 1821, when the United States took possession of Florida from Spain, there were few or no permanent inhabitants anywhere in
1368-552: Is the main street in Key West and is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. Key West is closer to Havana (about 106 miles or 171 kilometers by air or sea) than it is to Miami (130 miles or 210 kilometers by air or 165 miles or 266 kilometers by road). Key West is the usual endpoint for marathon swims from Cuba, including Diana Nyad 's 2013 swim and Susie Maroney 's 1997 swim from within
1444-557: The American Tobacco Trail . Six Greenway coordinators work remotely in their regions. The Alliance coordinates the Greenway's growth by working with local, state, regional, and national organizations and agencies. The Alliance is in charge of designating new trail segments and finding routes for the greenway, posting signs designating the path, spreading awareness of the project, and providing maps and information about
1520-640: The Calhoun Street Bridge across the Delaware River . The route travels through Jersey City , Newark , New Brunswick , and Trenton while also traveling through rural areas. New Jersey has the second-highest percentage of off-road trails at 54%. The greenway travels through the smaller towns of Bucks County , then through the city of Philadelphia , where it passes numerous historical landmarks and travels over Spring Garden Street , which has bike lanes going both ways. The route follows
1596-521: The Calusa and the Tequesta inhabited Key West. The last Native American residents of Key West were Calusa refugees who were taken to Cuba when Florida was transferred from Spain to Great Britain in 1763. Cayo Hueso ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaʝo ˈweso] ) is the original Spanish name for the island of Key West. It literally means "bone cay", cay referring to a low island or reef. It
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#17327979744261672-451: The Canada–US border , and pedal southwest through Ellsworth , where they can stay on the inland spine route through Bangor or veer off along a 150-mile (240 km) coastal route. The routes rejoin north of Portland , then head on towards Portsmouth, New Hampshire . The route through Maine is 350 miles (560 km) long, and 39% of that is currently off-road. Riders enter the state on
1748-532: The Dry Tortugas , served after the Civil War as the prison for Samuel A. Mudd , convicted of conspiracy for setting the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth , the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln . In the 19th century, major industries included wrecking , fishing , turtling , and salt manufacturing. From 1830 to 1861, Key West was a major center of U.S. salt production, harvesting the commodity from
1824-541: The House of Representatives and the Senate signed letters to President Bush in support of the greenway. In 2004, seven cyclists rode the entire route, from Key West to Calais, in 55 days. Later that year, the first Maine-to-Florida tour was held; four cyclists completed the event in 52 days, raising $ 75,000. In the following years, more people would complete the ride outside of ECG events. A 2005 GQ magazine article about
1900-689: The Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire , and follow the coastline to Seabrook and then on to the Massachusetts border. New Hampshire has the shortest portion of the greenway: about 17 miles (27 km), all on-road. The greenway enters the state near Salisbury, Massachusetts , and heads south towards Boston and then to Waltham . Next, it travels on from Worcester to the Rhode Island border. The route travels along
1976-961: The Metropolitan Branch Trail , which runs past Washington Union Station , or the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail , which follows the Anacostia River past the Washington Navy Yard . The two trails rejoin at the National Mall, the ECG's official midpoint, then head for Virginia via the Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River . Just under half of the 8-mile (13 km) segment through the District
2052-681: The Sandhills region and into Fayetteville before following the Cape Fear River into Wilmington and traveling along the coast. Alternatively, the Historic Coast Route, entering from southeastern Virginia, moves onto the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail and follows the coast down through Greenville and Jacksonville before reaching Wilmington where the routes connect. The 372-mile (599 km) spine route
2128-679: The Schuylkill River Trail south towards Delaware. The 67-mile (108 km) route is 31% off-road, but there is a third of the trail that has no route yet. Planning is being done to close the gaps. The greenway runs for 43 miles (69 km) through Delaware. Greenway users travel down the Northern Delaware Greenway to historic Wilmington and continue on to the Christina Riverwalk . Next, travelers head to historic New Castle and ride along
2204-622: The Southernmost House and the Fogarty Mansion , built by the children of William Curry—his daughter Florida and son Charles, respectively. In addition to architecture, Old Town includes the Key West Cemetery , founded in 1847, containing above-ground tombs, notable epitaphs, and a plot where some of the dead from the 1898 explosion of USS Maine are buried. The Casa Marina area takes its name from
2280-672: The Spanish governor of Cuba in Havana deeded the island of Key West to Juan Pablo Salas, an officer of the Royal Spanish Navy Artillery posted in Saint Augustine, Florida . After Florida was transferred to the United States in 1821, Salas was so eager to sell the island that he sold it twice – first for a sloop valued at $ 575 to a General John Geddes , a former governor of South Carolina , and then to
2356-573: The Straits of Florida , between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico . On March 25, 1822, Lt. Commander Matthew C. Perry sailed the schooner USS Shark to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, claiming the Keys as United States property. No protests were made over the American claim on Key West, so the Florida Keys became the de facto property of the United States. After claiming
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2432-410: The Straits of Florida . The island is about 4 miles (6 km) long and 1 mile (2 km) wide, with a total land area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km ; 2,688.0 acres). The average elevation above sea level is about 8 feet (2.4 m) and the maximum elevation is about 18 feet (5.5 m), within a 1-acre (0-hectare) area known as Solares Hill . The city of Key West is the southernmost city in
2508-696: The White Street Gallery District , is exclusively residential. Many of the structures in Old Town date from 1886 to 1912. The basic features that distinguish the local architecture include wood-frame construction of one- to two-and-a-half-story structures set on foundation piers about three feet (one meter) above the ground. Exterior characteristics of the buildings are peaked metal roofs, horizontal wood siding, gingerbread trim , pastel shades of paint, side-hinged louvered shutters, covered porches (or balconies, galleries, or verandas) along
2584-501: The contiguous United States , and the island is the westernmost island connected by highway in the Florida Keys . The city boundaries include the island of Key West and several nearby islands, as well as the section of Stock Island north of U.S. Route 1 , on the adjacent key to the east. The total land area of the city is 5.6 square miles (15 km ), with an additional 1.6 square miles (4.1 km ) of surrounding water within
2660-717: The 140-mile (230 km) Historic Coastal Route (46% off-road), travels southeast through Jamestown and Williamsburg , then towards Wilmington, North Carolina . The Greenway's spine route travels south through rural North Carolina into the Research Triangle Region , passing through Durham , Raleigh , and Cary . This section is on the American Tobacco Trail , which runs past the East Coast Greenway Alliance Headquarters in Durham. The route continues southwest through
2736-558: The 1830s, Key West was the richest city per capita in the United States. In 1846, the city suffered severely from the 1846 Havana hurricane . In 1852 the first Catholic Church, St. Mary's Star-Of-The-Sea, was built. The year 1864 became a landmark for the church in South Florida when five Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived from Montreal, Canada, and established the first Catholic school in South Florida. At
2812-532: The 1860s and 1870s), many Cubans sought refuge in Key West. Several cigar factories relocated to the city from Cuba, and Key West quickly became a major producer of cigars. The Great Fire of Key West , on April 1, 1886, started at a coffee shop next to the San Carlos Institute and spread out of control, destroyed 18 cigar factories and 614 houses and government warehouses. Some factory owners chose not to rebuild and instead moved their operations to
2888-527: The British and Spanish periods no nation exercised de facto control. The Bahamians apparently set up camps in the Keys that were occupied for months at a time, and there were rumors of permanent settlements in the Keys by 1806 or 1807, but the locations are not known. Fishermen from New England started visiting the Keys after the end of the War of 1812 , and may have briefly settled on Key Vaca in 1818. In 1815,
2964-591: The Bronx and Manhattan . The route travels down sections of Broadway and along the Hudson River , which travelers can cross via the George Washington Bridge or by taking a NY Waterway ferry into New Jersey. New York is home to 44 miles (71 km) of greenway, with 62% of the route, the highest percentage on the greenway, being off-road. In Manhattan, 90% of the trail is off-road. Part of
3040-712: The Casa Marina Hotel, opened in 1921, the neighborhood's most conspicuous landmark. The Reynolds Street Pier, Higgs Beach, the West Martello Tower , the White Street Pier, and Rest Beach line the waterfront. East Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States . The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance
3116-691: The Charles River and past the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution . The greenway enters from Massachusetts on the Blackstone River Bikeway and follows the historic Blackstone Canal . It travels down to Pawtucket and then into Providence , where it goes around India Point Park at Narragansett Bay , and then on to Cranston . This 49-mile (79 km) section of greenway is 52% off-road, with another 30% being developed. Connecticut has
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3192-650: The Civil War. Another landmark built by the federal government is the Key West Lighthouse , now a museum. Two of the most notable buildings in Old Town , occupied by prominent 20th-century residents, are the Ernest Hemingway House , where the writer lived from 1931 to 1939, and the Harry S. Truman Little White House , where the president spent 175 days of his time in office. Additionally,
3268-418: The Conch Republic Independence Celebration—including parades and parties—is celebrated annually, on April 23. In 1998, Hurricane Georges damaged the city. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused substantial damage with wind and flooding, killing three people. Key West is an island located at 24°33′55″N 81°46′33″W / 24.565176°N 81.775794°W / 24.565176; -81.775794 in
3344-413: The Florida Keys and part of the Everglades . The total land area of the city is 5.6 square miles (14.5 km ). The population within the city limits was 26,444 at the 2020 census . The official city motto is "One Human Family". Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States and the westernmost island connected by highway in the Florida Keys . Duval Street , its main street,
3420-481: The Florida Keys for the United States, Perry renamed Cayo Hueso (Key West) to Thompson's Island for Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson , and the harbor Port Rodgers in honor of War of 1812 hero and President of the Navy Supervisors Board John Rodgers . In 1823, Commodore David Porter of the United States Navy West Indies Anti- Pirate Squadron took charge of Key West, which he ruled as military dictator under martial law . The United States Navy gave Porter
3496-402: The Florida Keys. Cubans and Bahamians regularly visited the Keys, the Cubans primarily to fish, while the Bahamians fished, caught turtles, cut hardwood timber, and salvaged wrecks. Smugglers and privateers also used the Keys for concealment. In 1766 the British governor of East Florida recommended that a post be set up on Key West to improve control of the area, but nothing came of it. During both
3572-441: The Navy investigation into the blast occurred at the Key West Customs House. In October 1909, Key West was devastated by the 1909 Florida Keys hurricane . Further damage was suffered the following year in the 1910 Cuba hurricane . Key West was relatively isolated until 1912, when it was connected to the Florida mainland via the Overseas Railway extension of Henry M. Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). Flagler created
3648-536: The New Castle Riverfront before reaching Newark and heading west towards Maryland. The route starts in Elkton, Maryland , and heads west to Perryville and the Susquehanna River . Travelers pass the Perry Point VA Medical Center and have great views of the Chesapeake Bay . They cross the Susquehanna at the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge , but they are limited to crossing between dawn and dusk on weekends, holidays, and special events that have been arranged in advance, and they must be at least 18 years old or have
3724-404: The New York City segment is concurrent with the Empire State Trail , which also goes up the west side of Manhattan but diverges from the East Coast Greenway in the Bronx, heading northward through the state instead of towards Connecticut. The New Jersey section of the greenway is accessed from New York across the Hudson River by the George Washington Bridge or ferry, and from Pennsylvania by
3800-434: The United States. The mail route was known as the Key West, Florida – Havana Mail Route . The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the Overseas Railway and killed hundreds of residents, including around 400 World War I veterans who were living in camps and working on federal road and mosquito-control projects in the Middle Keys. The FEC could not afford to restore the railroad. The U.S. government then rebuilt
3876-429: The city limits. Sigsbee Park —originally known as Dredgers Key—and Fleming Key , both located to the north, and Sunset Key located to the west are all included in the city boundaries. Both Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park are part of Naval Air Station Key West and are inaccessible to the general public. In the late 1950s, many of the large salt ponds on the eastern side of the island were filled in. The new section on
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#17327979744263952-437: The continental United States, Key West . This segment of greenway is 600 miles (970 km) long, the longest of the ECG, and is 31% off-road. There is another 13% in development and another 38% in public control and is to be developed. There are some gaps. The East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) is a nonprofit organization that oversees, but does not own, the greenway. The Alliance is based in Durham, North Carolina , next to
4028-493: The eastern side is called New Town, which contains shopping centers, retail malls, residential areas, schools, ball parks , and Key West International Airport . Key West and most of the rest of the Florida Keys are on the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico . The two bodies have different currents, with the calmer and warmer Gulf of Mexico being characterized by great clumps of seagrass . The shallow passage known as Hawk Channel lies directly south of
4104-478: The fronts of the structures, and wood lattice screens covering the area elevated by the piers. Some antebellum structures survive, including the Oldest (or Cussans-Watlington) House (1829–1836) and the John Huling Geiger House (1846–1849), now preserved as the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens . Fortifications such as Fort Zachary Taylor , the East Martello Tower, and the West Martello Tower , helped ensure that Key West would remain in Union control throughout
4180-435: The greenway received over 50 million visits. On June 25, 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law adding the state's section of the greenway as its tenth State Trail . Major cities connected by the spine route are: Other cities may be connected by an alternate route in some locations. As of 2016, designated trails and locations of the East Coast Greenway include: Travelers start in Calais, Maine , at
4256-424: The island and is conducive to the exchange of Gulf waters to the Atlantic via tidal currents. The area where the two bodies merge between Key West and Cuba is called the Straits of Florida. The warmest ocean waters anywhere on the United States mainland are found in the Florida Keys in winter, with sea surface temperatures averaging in the 75–77 °F (24–25 °C) range in December through February. Duval Street
4332-485: The larger fort. When completed, they were connected to Fort Taylor by railroad tracks for movement of munitions. Early in 1864, 900 men from the 2nd United States Colored Troops (USCT) arrived in Key West as replacements for the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Many of these men would see action in southern Florida and the 2nd USCT would become "one of the most active" black regiments in Florida. Fort Jefferson , located about 68 miles (109 km) from Key West on Garden Key in
4408-404: The longest-serving governor in Florida's U.S. history. William Whitehead became chief editorial writer for the Enquirer , a local newspaper, in 1834. He preserved copies of his newspaper as well as copies from the Key West Gazette , its predecessor. He later sent those copies to the Monroe County clerk for preservation, which gives us a view of life in Key West in the early days (1820–1840). In
4484-436: The mainland at Florida City . A traffic jam of 17 miles (27 km) ensued while the Border Patrol stopped every car leaving the Keys, supposedly searching for illegal immigrants attempting to enter the mainland United States. This paralyzed the Florida Keys, which rely heavily on the tourism industry. Flags, T-shirts and other merchandise representing the Conch Republic are still popular souvenirs for visitors to Key West, and
4560-458: The mission of countering piracy and the slave trade in the Key West area. Soon after his purchase, John Simonton subdivided the island into plots and sold three undivided quarters of each plot to: Simonton spent the winter in Key West and the summer in Washington, where he lobbied hard for the development of the island and to establish a naval base on the island, both to take advantage of the island's strategic location and to bring law and order to
4636-543: The most rural stretch of trail in the region. It runs through historic mill towns, such as Willimantic , and major cities like Hartford , New Haven , Bridgeport , and Stamford . Users can travel on the Farmington Canal Greenway to get to New Haven from Simsbury and then ride along the Long Island Sound as they exit the state. Currently, 28% of the 198-mile (319 km) route is off-road, with an additional 28% in development. The New York segments starts in Westchester County and heads south into New York City through
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#17327979744264712-449: The museum. As of December 2015, the upstairs exhibits, in addition to the slave ship Henrietta Marie , included displays about a group of freed slaves in Key West in 1860, the preservation of items recovered underwater, and Caribbean piracy. A popular tourist feature was a solid gold bar that could be lifted by visitors in a plexiglass case. This bar was stolen by two thieves, Richard Johnson and Jarred Goldman, in August 2010. Following
4788-470: The museum. It is a museum, a lab, and a nationally recognized research facility. Within the museum is a fully operating Conservation and Archaeology lab, where guests are allowed admittance during a daily private Lab Tour and are able to touch the artifacts while learning about the various stages of artifact conservation. Some artifacts, depending on type and density, can take anywhere from weeks to years for full conservation before they are placed on display in
4864-407: The new community of Ybor City in Tampa , leading to a slow decline in the cigar industry in Key West. Still, Key West remained the largest and wealthiest city in Florida at the end of the 1880s. USS Maine sailed from Key West on her fateful visit to Havana, where she blew up and sank in Havana Harbor , igniting the Spanish–American War . Crewmen from the ship are buried in Key West, and
4940-485: The rail route as an automobile highway, completed in 1938, built atop many of the footings of the railroad. It became an extension of U.S. Route 1 . The portion of U.S. 1 through the Keys is called the Overseas Highway . Franklin Roosevelt toured the road in 1939. During World War II , more than 14,000 ships came through the island's harbor. The population, because of an influx of soldiers, sailors, laborers, and tourists, sometimes doubled or even tripled at times during
5016-540: The region. In 2000, Amtrak became a partner, helping to open access to various parts of the route. Between February and June 2000, the ECG Wave non-motorized relay carried a bottle of seawater from Key West to Canada along the route of the ECG. From 2001 to 2004, another 173 miles (278 km) were designated, and multiple states stepped in to help finalize their section of the route. This brought in more partnerships with government organizations, such as NJDOT , that would be essential for trail development. In 2003, members of
5092-435: The residences of some historical Key West families are recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as important landmarks of history and culture, including the Porter House on Caroline Street and the Gato House on Virginia Street. Several historical residences of the Curry family remain extant, including the Benjamin Curry House, built by the brother of Florida's first millionaire, William Curry, as well as
5168-462: The sea (via receding tidal pools) rather than from salt mines. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Union troops shut down the salt industry after Confederate sympathizers smuggled the product into the South. Salt production resumed at the end of the war, but the industry was destroyed by an 1876 hurricane and never recovered, in part because of new salt mines on the mainland. During the Ten Years' War (an unsuccessful Cuban war for independence in
5244-425: The second floor of the museum and is currently displaying an exhibit or artifacts belonging to Cuban Rafters, Balseros, who arrive to Key West in hand-crafted vessels. Terrestrial archaeological sites include The African Cemetery of Key West, located on Higgs Beach. The museum is named for founder Mel Fisher and was created as a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization, thus Fisher's fortune is not financially linked to
5320-408: The theft, the gold bar was then cut into pieces and sold off in Las Vegas . In 2018, the FBI arrested the two men after receiving an anonymous tip. Only a single piece of the gold bar was able to be recovered. Johnson was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison with Goldman receiving 3 years and 4 months. Both men also had to pay $ 570,195 in compensation. This Florida museum–related article
5396-443: The time it was called Convent of Mary Immaculate. The school is still operating today and is now known as Mary Immaculate Star of the Sea School. During the American Civil War , while Florida seceded and joined the Confederate States of America , Key West remained in U.S. Union hands because of the naval base. Most locals were sympathetic to the Confederacy, however, and many flew Confederate flags over their homes. However, Key West
5472-465: The town. He died in 1854. The names of the four "founding fathers" of modern Key West were given to main arteries of the island when it was first platted in 1829 by William Adee Whitehead , John Whitehead's younger brother. That first plat and the names used remained mostly intact and are still in use today. Duval Street, the island's main street, is named after Florida's first territorial governor, William Pope Duval , who served between 1822 and 1834 as
5548-601: The war. Starting in 1946, US President Harry S. Truman established a working vacation home in Key West, the Harry S. Truman Little White House , where he would spend 175 days of his presidency. In 1948, Key West suffered damage from two hurricanes within as many months, from the September 1948 Florida hurricane then the 1948 Miami hurricane . Prior to the Cuban revolution of 1959, there were regular ferry and airplane services between Key West and Havana. John F. Kennedy
5624-490: Was also home to a large free black population. This population grew during the war as more enslaved black people fled from their masters and came under the relative safety of the Union garrison there. Fort Zachary Taylor , constructed from 1845 to 1866, was an important Key West outpost during the Civil War. Construction began in 1861 on two other forts, East and West Martello Towers, which served as side armories and batteries for
5700-583: Was created in 1991 with the goal to use the entire route with off-road, shared-use paths ; as of 2021 , over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) of the route (35%) meets these criteria. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits. In 1991, a group of cyclists and long-distance trail enthusiasts met in New York City and formed a national non-profit organization, the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA), to plan and promote
5776-614: Was to use "90 miles from Cuba" extensively in his speeches against Fidel Castro . Kennedy himself visited Key West a month after the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis . In 1982, the city of Key West briefly asserted independence as the Conch Republic as a protest over a United States Border Patrol blockade . This blockade was set up on US 1 , where the northern end of the Overseas Highway meets
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