Modern History of Key West told first hand, the good and the bad.

[fredpurdue]

Had trouble posting this note from my cousin, who gives a run down on the history of Key West, the sites, the bars, the military, and where the ships dock. He sort of tells US History like it is, segregation, the current culture, etc. It ain't pretty at times, but accurate and extremely enlightining for future visitors.

 

visited Key West, where we were stationed in the navy, back during the Cuban missile crises, in the 1960s. Back then, Key West was a quaint little village that was, basically, at the end of the earth (being at the end of U. S. 1, 160 miles south west of Miami). It had a rich history, but a small town atmosphere, being heavily influenced by Cubans. Cuban refugees, fleeing the Castro regime, would try to sail across the 90 mile straights between Havana and Key West. They would have had to hid a boat, and the preparations for the crossing, from the Cuban authorities. Sometimes in our change, we would get some Cuban money, which was the same size and denomination as ours. We'd receive the Cuban radio and TV station, 'QMCA', which would feature Fidel Castro telling what a wonderful, desirable place Cuba was.... They used to advertise on the (Key West) radio station, a jewelry store on Duval Street....that it was on the longest street in the orld...it stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.... (14 blocks long). There is a famous landmark on Key West at the pier on the southernmost point of the island, designating that it is 'the southernmost point in the continental United States'.... Henry Flagler (back around the turn of the century) built an upscale hotel there. To get the potential guests to the hotel, he built an overseas railroad.... (I guess, getting 'there' would be a big part of the trip). However, a hurricane knocked down the railroad tracks, and the subsequent financial loss was more than Mr. Flagler could weather. They (U. S.) eventually took over Mr. Flaglers wrecked railroad bridges, linking the islands in the chain of keys, and used the steel girders, to build a highway from Miami to Key West. It is a beautiful drive, the first time....(but, boy, does it get repitious, from then on...especially when we were only making $205 a month and are liited on staying in an expensive motel in Miami).. The fresh water we got, was piped down from Miami.... The sun beating on the 160 mile pipeline heated the water, such that when you took a straight cold shower, the water was so hot, that you started sweating...in the shower. About 60 miles west of Key West is the tiny island speck called 'Dry Tortugas'.....dry signifying that there is no source of fresh water, and tortugas, the Spanish word for turtles. There was a Civil War fort built on the islet. But the weight of the bricks was so heavy, that the foundation sank in the sand. And, although it was used, the walls settled and cracked terribly. It was eventually used as a federal prison.... Their most famous 'convict' was a Dr. Mudd....who had the misfortune of setting John Wilkes Boothes (who assassinated President Lincoln) broken leg.... The government thought that he was part of a conspiracy, and sentenced him to the prison on Dr Tortugas.... He was a model prisoner (being an upright honest citizen, anyway)... he eventually became the prison doctor, ministering to the other inmates... People in Key West had their own chickens....whether this was for poultry (to eat), or for their personal egg production, OR for the sport of cock fighting, (which was influenced by the Cuban culture). Termites were a big problem with wooden houses there. We had a friend (also in the Navy) who bought one of these old 'Conch' houses (for $20,000), and every time we went to visit them, there would be piles of sawdust on the floor, under the furniture, where the termites were eating the wood. At one time, there was a famine there, and the people resorted to eating the insides of a sea animal called a 'conch' (pronounced konks....rhymes with honks).... You've probably seen these pretty pink conch shells. Anyway, the rest of the country called the people 'conchs'....sort ofa derogatory name. The people also did some sponge fishing and shrimp netting. When we were there, there was a definite 'pecking order', socially. The top tier were the white local people, second were the people in the Navy, third were the shrimp fishermen, and lastly were the 'people of color'. The high schools were still segregated....and the local colored high school was named 'Douglas' High. (I used to get teased that the high school was named after me). There are reefs surrounding the keys, and ship navigation was dangerous. The government had set up marker bouys and light houses, to help the mariners navigate safely.... But the local people would go out, and change these marker bouys and light houses, to cause the cargo ships to wreck...and then they (local people) would go out and loot the wrecked ships.... These people (I call them 'land pirates') were called 'wreckers'...and it became a (locally) acceptable prfession. Some famous people used to live on Key West.....James Audubon, Ernest Hemingway (who was a local drunk, that made good in his writings), and Harry Truman had a permanent 'summer white house' on the Navy base there. One of the streets in town was re-named in his honor....Truman Street. One of the cross streets (on Truman Street) is Margaret Street. Thus there is a road sign that has the names 'Margaret' and 'Truman'.... which is a popular 'Kodak moment' place to take pictures (President Truman had an ugly daughter named Margaret). The Navy had a big impact on the local economy....there was the main navy base, which also had a submarine detachment, a sonar school, an underwater swimmers school (the basis of the future 'SEAL' team), Also, a hospital (which if you donate blood to, you got the rest of the day off....we called it 'vampire liberty'), an electronic test and evaluation detachment (which I was assigned to), an on the next island up, a navy air station called 'Boca Chica'. Where we lived, was right under the flight path of the incoming jet fighters. Kitty Corner from where we lived, there was a base ball field that had a high concrete block fence around it. During the 'Cuban crises' the Marines came in, and strung coils of barbed wire around the top of that wall, and installed NIKE missiles....pointed south, towards Cuba. We could see the white tips of the missiles. We had a radar installation, as part of the Boca Chica base, that would track air craft on the island of Cuba. By the time an airplane reached tree top level (there) we had already picked it up, and was plotting its speed, and direction.... There was a popular 'tourist attraction', which you caught down town on Mallory Square...a 'conch train'... which was a jeep with a wood cover over it, that made it look like a train engine, which pulled little open cars, which went around the sland, and narrated the things that you were looking at. (Key West is the only town in the continental U. S., where the houses don't have chimneys....because they don't need any heating systems).

 

Anyway, to talk about theKey West of today..... Key West is 'gay friendly'. The Flagler Hotel has been taken over by queers. The local taxi cabs are painted purple. The chickens have gone feral (wild) and roost in trees, and poop on people and cars. (Key West is a bird sanctuary....and chickens, being birds, are 'protected'). The navy bases have all but closed down. In fact, big cruise ships now tie up at the main navy base. Mallory Square is a huge tourist trap place now. Diamonds International (a very expensive chain of jewelry stores that capitalizes on the cruise ship trade) is now in Key West. Duval Street is still the longest street in the world....No one has ever gone the whole distance and stopped and had a drink in every bar....there are now 68 bars on Duval Street. The one thing that we did find quite interesting was Mel Fishers salvage museum. He discovered (afte years of fruitless searching) a famous ship wreck called 'the Atocha' (there is a long Spanish name for the ship, but I can't remember it) that was loaded with very precious cargo. Gold bars, silver bars, coins, precious metal dishes, etc. It was only in 39 feet of water.. A lot of the recovered stuff is on display there... They also have stuff for sale....But what they have, for example various 'silver coins' recovered from the sunken ship (say, for between $185 to $300)....is really silver from the ship, but the coins are modern day duplicates.....they do have real recovered coins for sale.....but add two more zeros to the aforementioned price (say, $18,500, on up to ???) They did have some gold bars, in a clear Plexiglas display case...the case had a very small hole in it, that you could reach in and actually lift a gold bar....(which is really heavy)...unfortunately, the hand hole is only big enough to get your hand thru..but not big enough to twist the bar so that it would line up to be taken out.... Those same 'conch' houses that sold for $20,000 back in the 1960s are now beginning at $250,000....if you can find one that's been put up for sale.

[Aquahound]

The navy bases have all but closed down. In fact, big cruise ships now tie up at the main navy base.....Those same 'conch' houses that sold for $20,000 back in the 1960s are now beginning at $250,000....if you can find one that's been put up for sale.

 

Key West hosts Naval Air Station KW, which is the east-coast version of Top Gun. Truman Annex s the new home to a SEAL training facility. The only Navy properties sold to the city are those no longer in use from the Cuban Missile Crises. The USCG base is home to two 270' cutters, ten 110' cutters, an 87' cutter, and a small-boat station. Flemming Key is home to Army Spec Ops. The military is bigger than ever in the Keys.

 

Conch houses now start at $500,000 and there are more homes for sale in the Keys than ever before. Post Hurricane Wilma, insurance rates went up and people are trying to leave, but can't.

 

As far as taxis, they are pink, not purple. Five-sixes paints there cabs pink for a reason, and it has nothing to do with, as you called them.."queers." Pink vehicles are more likely to be seen by pedestrians than any other color. It is there way of competing with the other large cab companies.

[MuffyKismet]

I appreciate both writers information! Although I have been to Key West countless times and have stayed on base , since my husband is retired Navy, I quite honestly didn't know all of the history old and current. and now I am shall we say "informed". thank you to both of you......I think both perspectives are correct, the later being appropirate to the last 10 years of key West.

 

Thanks again to both of you. Very intresting , hope alot of people read this, I think they will enjoy the visit more and understand the little town a little better.

 

PS the "queer" population is mostly a delight!! Very friendly shop owners, drag queens , you name it.............most of them a joy to speak with!!

[patrice1]

So...the person who wrote this "modern" history lives here now? I doubt it. I do and I can tell you the "history" is quite lacking. The chickens are everywhere not because they're "protected" but because they breed (what a concept!). The city actually hired a chicken catcher that was re-locating the one's he caught up north, but so many ppl freed them from their traps, he gave up. There's still plenty of Navy/Coasties here, on different bases and I enjoy watching the Navy pilots practice overhead, from a base called Boca Chica - the name of the island the base is on. As far as conch house prices, the one I live in in Bahama Village (because most of the ppl who first populated this island were Bahamian - not Cuban, even tho there are many) is for sale - we're renting - for $800K. Believe me, I wish I could find one for $250K! And lastly, much of Key West's personality in "modern" times is because we are gay-friendly. Personally, I don't know any "queers" as you call them, but have many gay friends. If you can't deal with gays, stay on lower Duval and don't go past the 800 block. If you enjoy the camp, fun, funny and unique, you'll love Upper Duval - above 800 block.

Sure, Key West has changed. Honestly, I don't believe that you can name any American city that hasn't in the past 30 years. Some of it I don't care for and some of is welcome. Wilma hit us hard last year, but this Community came together - Bahamians, Cubans, "whites", military and even "queers", took good care of each other. That's why I love it here & choose to live here.

[cusyl]

I lived in Key West in 1941 and 1942. My parents and grandparents owned a jewelry store on Duval Street in the La Concha Hotel.:p

 

My grandfather also worked in the Navy Yards working on small instruments. My sister and I attended school at the Convent of Mary Immaculate. The Navy had MPs patroling the streets at night and there were quite a few murders. During the day it was a nice quiet place.

 

I remember during the war in 1941 that they had to paint the tops of the headlights in case of an air raid.

[fredpurdue]

Hey, Patrice you are being a little hard on my cousin. He said the conch houses "start at 250,000." He did not appraise your specific house. And I warned you that it was not politically correct... why are some folks so touchy over one persons use of the "q" word? That is my cousins style, and I did not edit it, just warned the readers first. Yes, my cousin is very much alive and was in Key West less than 2 weeks ago. He wrote like he saw, as each of us do, and if others see something different, please post and we all can learn different perspectives. That is what is great about america, open minds to value all perspectives, even if someone uses the "q" word!

And a diversity of viewpoints on Key West make it even more interesting for visitors. Hope all enjoy Key West a little more with these various opinions and view points stated here

[patrice1]

I guess I'm "touchy" because the "Q" word here is just like the "N" word - spoken only by bigots. As far as appraising my house - again, prices here start at $500K and there are NO $250K houses are available, demonstrating to me that your cousin's perceptions are misguided, at the very least.

[MuffyKismet]

It is a shame that this tread is getting off it's intended track... I would like it if everyone can remember that we do live in America where there is freedom of speach (thank god), even if it is ignorant, misguided, down right wrong.........everyone has the right. After all Patrice he did warn all the readers of this thread that it was not "politcally correct".

 

I am not thrilled with his "queer" statement either, I have a son that is gay, BUT I didn't really put that much importance on that portion of his thread. I also know that the homes in Key West have sky rocketed in value, as they have all over SW Florida, we bought our home 9 years ago for 90K and now it is appraised for 400K............crazy!!! By them way I LOVE the homes in Key West, I know when people restore them it is big money and alot of work.........but beautiful to look at!

 

My husband is retired military and my son is a navy flyer so we know exactly the impact the Navy (military) has on Key West still today! WE always stay on base when we come down (which is often).

 

I enjoy reading ALL the threads, I take some portions with a grain of salt and store the other info as intresting but not necessarily accurate info!

 

Give the general public a little more credit ............ I would say that most readers will do as I have and take a little bit from everyones story.

 

In other words.........relax, he was just trying to share a perspective, it wasn't meant to be the be all end all to the Key West story!

 

happy new year to everyone and god bless!:D

[fredpurdue]

Muffy-

Great insight. My cousin is NOT the end all and I know it and he knows it. Many veiw points make this country great.

I did find several nice homes on Key west under $400,000 on the online MLS. Prices are higher than my cousin thought... he was just noting they had gone up so much. Apparently higher than he thought.

Unless someone else has something new to say, a new insight, lets let this thing die.

 

Fred

[emjsea]

Fred has been trolling all over the boards with his "aww gee shucks, I don't mean to offend" shtick. I suspect he gets a big kick out of saying something is written by his "cousin" because he's too much of a coward to attribute saying his favorite word "queer" to himself. Using the "cousin" gives him a bit of a buffer, he gets to ignorantly and bigotedly use the word, but doesn't have to have the spine to take responsibility for his actions.

 

It's sad when fully inbred white trash get out of the trailers to use the internets at public libraries (I hope you didn't find that offensive, I just "calls 'em likes I sees 'em... yee haw")

[Aquahound]

Unless someone else has something new to say, a new insight, lets let this thing die.

 

 

What's wrong? You started this. Can you not handle it when someone disagrees with you?

[bhopal21]

I must agree with Aquahound.

 

The original post was "second-hand" information and filled with inaccuracies.

 

Since this whole thread has absolutely nothing to do with cruising, I would request that the host delete it.

 

Mike:)

[Cruzaholic41]

Had trouble posting this note from my cousin....

 

Yet, the thread is labeled "told first hand."

 

That was a very inaccurate report. Maybe if it was actually "first hand," you would have gotten some of the facts straight. I can't even begin to point out how wrong your "cousin" was. :rolleyes: