MEMORABILIA ROOM
Florida Keys Postcard Shelf
Page 1
These pages are by Jerry Wilkinson
Congress passed the
Private Mailing Card Act in May of 1898, but the "golden age" of postcards
in the US began between 1905 and 1915. To aid in the proliferation
of postcards, Eastman Kodak produced postcard-size developing paper in
1902. Today, these are known as "real photo" postcards.
The following is a tour of the Keys from
north to south using selected postcards. To read specifics of the locations,
click on the "homepage" at the bottom of each page and go to the "Reading
Room" and choose from the index.
There are two vehicle routes to enter the
Florida Keys:
1) From Florida City on highway US 1 take the left route to
enter via the Card Sound Bridge (toll), or
2) Continue straight on US 1 to enter via Cross Key and the
Jewfish Creek Bridge.
- Key of Key Largo -
(Single CLICK on any image to enlarge, then BACK to
continue the tour.)
The tour begins entering north Key Largo from
the mainland across the Card Sound Bridge which opened in 1969 after being
inoperative for 25 years. Key Largo is about 26 miles long and is the largest
Key.
The now almost completely built-out private
Ocean Reef Club (ORC) as it appeared by an aerial photographer circa 1963.
The creek in the upper right is Dispatch Creek.
The opening of an airport in 1956 made
the ORC more accessible, however, the new Card Sound Bridge in 1969 was
a larger boost.
The ORC neighbor of the Angler's Club began
as a business in 1932 when used as a part of the Roney Year Round Clubs.
The Angler's Club formed as a private club in the 1940s.
The original 1928 Overseas Highway passed over
a wooden Card Sound Bridge and onto Key Largo by today's CR 905. The Key
Inn was a few miles north of today's junction of CR 905 and US 1 on Key
Largo.
Mabel Harris of Illinois purchased the
above Key Inn and operated it as Mabel's Place.
Continued on Page 2
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