The Historical Society is continuing with its 37st year of operations with a power point show called, “The First Overseas Highway”. Details of the program are below. The meeting will be our customary second-Monday-of-each-month which happens to be May 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the Key Largo Library Community Room. This is the door to the right of the library located in the Tradewinds Shopping Center at MM101.5 Oceanside. Please mark your calendars now and pass the word onto others who may have an interest. Our history needs to live now in order to live in the future.

Last month’s program was well received, we had around 45 in attendance. Loralea Carrera  did a great job again with the “Old Key West in Postcards” program. This month’s program, Jerry will be talking about the construction of the First Overseas Highway to/from Key West which opened using ferryboats in 1928. This highway was converted to a though highway using the old railroad bridges in 1938. George Allen of Key West in 1895 is the first credited person writing of a highway from the mainland to Key West. Actual financing was given during the 1920’s Florida Land Boom when Monroe County provided a $300,000 bond in 1923 for some county roads. The concept grew and advanced to a joint Miami Dade/MoCo plan with work under way when the great hurricane of 1926 destroyed much of the bridge across Card Sound. The bridges were prepared and work continued on the First Overseas Highway and the opening was January 25, 1928 using ferryboats for the portion from Lower Matecumbe Key to No Name Key.

The 1935 Hurricane damaged the railroad and the ferryboat system. The state purchased the railroad right-of-way and started modifying it as a highway while two new ferryboats provided highway service. A through highway via Card Sound to Key West was opened July 2, 1938. During WW-II the route was shortened using the railroad property known as the 18 Mile Stretch. In the 1970s a total rebuilding began resulting in the highway we use today.

“The Shaw Diary,” a written account of Alice Shaw living on Key Largo from 1925-1927, with photographs will be available at the May meeting for sale. We had another 20 copies printed as we sold all that we had at the last meeting. They will be $13.00 each, so if you bring a check make it out to HPSUK. If you want me to mail you a copy add $3.00 to cover postage. I will also have K Wilkinson’s book “It had to be you” for sale, $15.00 each. Plus, ”Images of Key Largo”, $22.00 for it.  I will also have some older History Talks for sale $3.00 each. I will try to bring different ones from now on. So you can look at them and see if you are interested in purchasing one or want to give one to someone.

This month we have the pleasure of announcing a returning patron memberships from the Redland area we have Buck and Karon Buckley. Thanks all and we hope we meet your expectations and please share your comments with us.

Thanks, Mary Lou  & Jerry