For those in the know of Key West architecture, conch houses are a historic famed style of house built on the island. This is just one of the many things…
Key West Beginnings On March 25, 1822, Navy Lieutenant Matthew Perry sailed the schooner Shark to Key West, claiming the island for America. Key West is strategically located, guarding Florida…
Key West is full of history, making it a dream place to visit for history buffs. On our tiny 2 x 4 mile island, you will find a ton of…
February 19, 2020 - If you have ever read Patricia Schultz's, 1,000 Place to See Before You Die, you would know that Key West is one of the places that…
I was wondering downtown the other day and I came across a sign posted in front of one of the historic downtown homes that said “Pirates Well.” I have walked by this place a hundred times and had never noticed it before, so I read the marker at the house and did a bit or research on it.
Apparently where this house sits was where the first fresh water on the island was found by pirates in the 1700s. But this house, located at 410 Caroline Street between Duval and Whitehead Streets, known as the Captain George Carey House has a few more claims to fame.
Florida’s Calusa Indian tribe was forced to migrate south to Key West where they fought to keep the southernmost lands as the New World was settled. In the process many Indians were killed and the Key West beaches were used as burial grounds. According to Key West lore, Spanish settlers found bones of the dead Indians strewn on the beach and called the island Cayo Hueso, meaning Island of Bones. Later English settlers called the island Key West, thinking that Cayo meant Key and Hueso West.
Over the years, ownership of the island has changed hands several times between the Spanish and the English. In 1815 the island was given by Spain to Juan Pablo Salas. American businessman, John Simonton, purchased the island from Salas in the early 1820’s, later selling portions of Key West to fellow businessmen Greene, Whitehead, and Fleming (all of whom have Key West streets named after them today, so be on the lookout!). The triumvirate began to develop Key West, and are even responsible for bringing the United Stated Navy down to build a base, which eventually put a stop to pirating in the area. However, settlers still had to combat illness, mosquitoes, and harsh seas.