Monday, March 4, 2013

ON THIS DAY IN:

1906 In response to reports that Greek divers were destroying the sponge beds, Gov. N.B. Broward wrote the sheriffs of Monroe, Lee, Hillsborough and Levy counties instructing them to enforce Florida's law that prohibited taking of sponges by dredging or diving.

1955 Four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost was on his regular annual visit with his old friends Mr. and Mrs.E.L. Newton.

1967 The Navy reported that the military personnel and dependents in Key West totaled 18,953. The military also employed an additional 2,006 civilian workers.

1976 Suspended Fire Chief Joseph "Bum" Farto, convicted in February on drug charges, was reported missing by his wife. He had left town in a rental car that was found in Miami, but no trace of him was ever found. His disappearance led to the all-time best-selling Key West T-shirt that read "Where is Bum Farto?"

1983 The will of the late playwright Tennessee Williams was filed with the Monroe County Clerk of Court and assigned to Circuit Court Judge Helio Gomez.

1995 "Arts for the Parks," a national competition sponsored by the National Park Foundation, chose a painting of Fort Jefferson by Key West native George Carey to become part of the exhibition that toured the country.