Key West history is an exciting epic tale. The area was originally inhabited a fierce Native American tribe known as the Calusas. Although Ponce de Leon is credited with discovering the Florida Keys as he sailed down the Florida coast searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth in 1513, he did not set foot on Key West. The remote island remained in the hands of clashing Calusas and pillaging pirates for another 300 years. The beaches were so littered with skeletal remains from Calusa battles and shipwrecked pirates it was called Cayo Hueso (Isle of Bones).
United States occupancy came in 1822 when Florida was transferred to the United States by Spain. A small naval depot was established in Key West to bring order to the area and end the piracy. Settlers followed and the Calusa tribe gradually disappeared. Early settlers became “wreckers” salvaging good from trading ships that floundered on treacherous area reefs. (Legends say the wreckers deliberately lured the ships into the reefs.) Sponge harvesting developed into a good market and Cuban cigar makers established cigar factories in Key West. The island thrived. By1860, Key West was the richest city per capita in the U.S. When railroad tycoon Henry Flagler completed the railroad connecting Key West with the Florida mainland in 1912, hoards of wealthy visitors traveled to Key West. Unfortunately, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 killed hundreds of residents, destroyed most of Key West and left Flagler’s railroad in shambles. The future was bleak, but Key West persevered. The tide turned in 1938. When the Florida Keys Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway One) opened, Key West’s popularity and population again flourished. Today, 126 miles of highway and 40 bridges connect the Florida Keys with the mainland. More than three million visitors arrive in Key West each year; some fall under its spell and stay.
