Tuesday, March 19, 2013

ON THIS DAY IN:

1898 The USS Oregon left San Francisco Bay on a 16,000 mile voyage around South America to join the Atlantic Fleet in Key West.

1929 The annual convention of the Florida Sheriff's Association opened at the La Concha Hotel. Sheriff Cleveland Niles presented the key to the city to President Bob Baker.

1949 President Harry Truman left for Washington after a two-week vacation at the Little White House.

1953 Southern Bell Telephone Co. installed its 6,000th phone on the Key West switchboard.

1953 A plan for the protection of the Key deer was agreed upon in Washington by Congressman Bill Lantaff, officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and representatives of the Wildlife Federation.

1972 The Sportsmen Inn Motel at 3820 North Roosevelt Blvd. opened for business.

1987 The waste-to-energy plant, built by Montenay for Key West, was dedicated. The plant, designed to burn garbage to make electricity, was unsuccessful and later closed.

1994 A Chalk Airline seaplane taking off from Key West Harbor crashed, killing the two pilots, the only people on the plane.