The Calusa people lived in south Florida and on into the Keys, and called what is known today as Key West, Bone Island. It was Ponce De Leon in the late 1400's who is reputed to have "discovered" the Keys and brought that knowledge to the Europeans.

North American's use the term "Keys" to refer to the chain of about 1700 small-to-larger islands stretching from the southwest tip of the Florida Peninsula. The European term is Cay (pronounced the same way as Key) and that term is itself a derivative of the Spanish word Cayo, or small island.

Key West

Key West held the title as the largest town in Florida in part of the 18th century. Today, in Mallory Square in Key West there are displays, monuments and museums dedicated to the reason for Key West's early success. Key West was a "wreckers paradise".

The ocean trade route from New Orleans around the Florida Peninsula passed right by Key West. With the adjacent ocean strewn with reef and sand bar, many trading vessels went aground. Their crews, not saved by the wreckers, perished by drowning; shark food! Both the crews (when possible) and their trade goods were salvaged by the wreckers of Key West. Those of the crews that survived paid for their rescue by forfeiting their trade goods.

Some of the homes in Key West were built from the timber salvaged from the many wrecked ships.

Improved Navigation

Technology, in the form of improved navigational aids, came to the rescue of the imperiled ships, and spelt the end of Key West's days as a wreckers paradise. Sponge diving provided income for the town for some time, but it too declined as sponges were depleted and local politicians outlawed the collection. As a result, Key West declined dramatically late in the 19th century.

The Railway

The photo above shows the remnants of one of Henry Flagler's train bridges, looking west. This bridge used to link Bahia Honda Key to Big Pine Key. Though the old bridge is still there, the main center span is isolated from the adjacent Keys. They blew up the spans that connected the bridge to the Key. The resulting opening allows boat traffic to pass through the old bridge and under the overpasses on the new highway US#1. The "new" highway, U.S.#1, is just visible on the right in the photo.

It's hard to believe that this marvel of (at the time) engineering and perseverance actually came to pass, yet it did. Mr. Henry Flagler had a vision...a railroad track to link all of the major keys from Key Largo to Key West and in turn link that line to major rail lines on the mainland.

He didn't build the rail for rail's sake, but rather, to ensure a steady stream of clients for the hotels he built, and intended to build in the Keys.

The Key's-wide railroad took seven years to build, employed many thousands of construction workers (too many of whom lost their lives during hurricanes that hit the Keys during construction) and in 1912 Henry Flagler rode the first train into Key West.

His triumph was the completion of the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway's overseas railroad to Key West and the link, by railway, of the entire east coast of Florida; this just a year before he died.

Flagler's railroad track and the dream of a Keys railroad was ultimately torn up and his rail bed paved to allow vehicular traffic onto the Keys.

Since then, the "new" US#1 is the major highway linking the Keys. As you sift along the Key's highway US#1 in your car or on your motorcycle, ponder Mr. Flagler's railroad dream as you pass mile after mile of the old railway bridges, rusting parallel to US#1, along much of it's route. Those fragments of Flagler's Folly, when accessible, are now only suited for pedestrians and fishermen.

The other bridges, isolated by the destruction of the spans that connected them to the land, are mute. Resting places for pelican, cormorant, and Flagler's dream.