Harry Truman wasn’t the only president to visit our island. While he did visit for a grand total of 175 days during his eleven visits as the president and several more times after he left office, other presidents have also visited the famous Conch Republic. Franklin D. Roosevelt visited in 1939 and Dwight D. Eisenhower even came here for some R&R after having a heart attack. In 1962, John F. Kennedy stayed here for a whole month following the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Jimmy Carter held a family reunion here right after he left office.
An iconic picture of Harry Truman sitting on the lawn of the Little White House.
Did you know that in Pre-Columbian times, Key West was inhabited by the Calusa people? They had a steady reign of the island until the first European visit in 1521 when Juan Ponce de Leon, Spanish explorer and conquistador, led an expedition to what we now call Florida. After Ponce de Leon’s visit, Florida increasingly became more of a Spanish territory of fishing and salvaging; a small military garrison was even established there. It is said that Ponce de Leon was looking for the Fountain of Youth in Florida!
The Pirates of the Caribbean Fountain of Youth map!
Like most historic cities in America, we have an Old Town. Our Old Town is the original Key West settlement on the western part of our island that makes up the Key West Historic District. It has the perfect tourist destinations like Mallory Square, the famous and infamous Duval Street, the lovely Truman Annex, and the fearsome Fort Zachary Taylor. Most of the buildings are comprised of classic bungalow and guest mansion style of architecture.
The USS Maine was an American battleship that was the United States Navy’s second commissioned battleship and the first to be named after the state of Maine. In 1898, the USS Maine sailed from Key West to Havana where it blew up. Many of the crewman of the USS Maine are buried in Key West, while the investigation of their deaths occurred at the Customs House of Key West. About two months after its sinking, people started crying “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!” So the destruction of the Maine didn’t exactly immediately send America into a state of war with Spain, but rather, it made peace with Spain impossible.
A New York newspaper describing the destruction of the Maine.
Joe Russell, the famous owner of Key West’s Sloppy Joe Bar, was friends with Ernest Hemingway. Along with Charles Thompson, who was a hardware store owner, Russell would regularly go fishing with Heminway. In fact, Joe Russell was the inspiration and model for the character of Freddy in Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not. What’s more, after Joe Russell died, pieces of Hemingway’s original manuscript for To Have and Have Not was found in the Sloppy Joe Bar!
Ernest Hemingway’s wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, had an uncle who bought them that famous 907 Whitehead Street home in 1931 as a wedding present. After moving in, Ernest had a swimming pool installed for $20,000 dollars, which is $250,000 in modern values. The amount was so great that Hemingway is rumored to have put a penny into the wet concrete, saying, “Here! Take the last penny I’ve got!” The penny is still there. Go see for yourself!
This painting of the Boston Tea Party is very well known. Children have likely seen it in their history textbooks and when thinking of that glorious night in 1773, this image may readily come to mind. Nathaniel Currier, the artist who painted this patriotic illustration of American’s desire for independence, entitled his work “The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor.”
In fact, the phrase “the Boston Tea Party” did not become the standard description until many years later. In reality, unlike Currier’s depiction, there were few men who actually disguised themselves as Indians. Interesting!
Old Town Trolley and the San Diego Seals are both proud sponsor of the 2014 San Diego Big Bay Whale Festival. This fun filled, FREE event will take place on Saturday, January 25 at the Port Pavillion on Broadway Pier from 11 am to 3 pm. The event will feature three live bands: Moon Dog at 11am, Flamenco with Roots at 12pm, Jinnah Williams at 12:30pm, and James Gibson Band at 2pm. Back by popular demand will be the our Flash Mob at 1:30. Lots of fun activities for kids: face painting, obstacle course, balloon art and a jumping house. Lots of prizes will be given away, so don’t miss out on this great day!
Ever been to Ernest Hemingway’s house and seen one of the famous polydactyl cats? In other words, the cats with six or seven toes on their paws. While Hemingway lived in his 907 Whitehead Street house, he cared for his beloved cat Snowball, whose offspring still roam Ernest’s home’s walls. They are so special and loved by Key West that the Key West City Commission exempted the Hemingway house from the law that prohibits having more than four domestic animals in one home.
Look at it’s many toes! How would you like to be swiped at with those paws?
The Boston Tea Party is an international symbol of American patriotism and independence. It’s had influence on many American political movements… especially the Tea Party Movement! This movement began in 2009, which is nearly 238 years after the Boston Tea Party. Those involved in this movement advocate for a better system for decreasing American national debt and the federal budget deficit. They hope to do this by reducing US governmental spending and taxes. Neat, huh?
