The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-11-17
TOURISTS VIEW
ISLAND CITY

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marks used. You will see model
of principal lighthouses near
here, and Spanish-American war
and Maine explosion relics. At
the rear you will look out on
Key Vests famed harbor and in
the distance you will see the "is-
lands to the west. On your left
will be three sleek naval de-
stroyers tied up at the Naval Sta
ton. On your right perhaps a
freighter and before you sturdy
lighthouse. tender.
Lighthouse View
Speeding up Whitehead, you
will pass the county courthouse,
cleaning white. You may be
taken through colored sections of
the town, descendants directly
fof African slaves brought here.
You will stop at Superin-
tendent of Lighthouse Bill De-
merits reservation. There you
will see the only inland light
house in the world rising out of
beautiful grounds with tropical
lairplants. coconuts and an aviary
of doves, chattering parakeets
and rainbow tropical birds. You
will climb interminable steps but
the view above will be amazing.
On a panorama you will see the
ocean on all sides of Key West
and birds eye view of part of
the Keys spread out below. You
will see the little fisher cottages
of Key West in all directions.
The La Concha juts out and the
Convent of Mary Immaculate.
The sand bank and big guns of
Fort Taylor you will see spread
out in a half moon at Whitehead
Point. Also the National Guard
and C.C.C. Hospital buildings.
| The old Fort, named in honor of
Zachary Taylor who fought with
distinction in the wars of 1912,
Seminole and Indians Wars, was
begun in 1845 completed in 1876.
During the Civil War period the
armament consisted of column
biads, thanking howitzers, and
field howitzers. The fortifica-
tions of Key West and the Dry
Tortugas were designed to con-
troll the passages of the Gulf of
Mexico. To your right the radio
towers of Key West Naval Sta
ton loom. Here pirates once
beached their galleons and scrap
ed and painted their bottoms.
1t was the base where Com
modors David Porter, who drove
out the Pirates, occupied in 1922.
1t is an important base for all
wars. At present the Navy De-
partment is establishing neu-
trality patrol out of it. The
lighthouse you are in throws a
beam which can be seen Is miles.
1t was built in 1916, is 81 feet
high. Prior to the establish
ment of this light losses of YES
sells wrecked on the surrounding
shoals rank into millions of dol
lars.
Civil War Forts
Sticking in your mind among
hundreds of interesting facts
which will be explained to you
throughout the city will be. !.
East Martello Tower, one of the
finest old Qualifications in the
country, begun in the Civil War
with its noteworthy brickwork,
its granite gun bases, its design
which permits engaging the
enemy from outer tower if they
gained access to central tower. !.
the beautiful Roosevelt Boule-
ward and the ships passing the
Gulf Stream quite close in going
to romantic destinations. The
Mollie Parker Gardens where a
pleasant former Kentuckian lady
shows you wonders she has ac-
complished in tropical gardening,
including such things as the linn
burger tree, the Montreira Deli
ciosa which tastes like all tropi-
cal fruits, only star apple tree in
u. S., amazing network of Gao
tus, mammoth bougainvillea,
largest blue plumbago in coun-
try. the little cigar factory
where workers deftly twist
strong Havana tobacco leaves in
to cigars and place them in cedar
boxes.
Bahama Houses
You will be taken to the Ba-
hama houses built of cypress by
ship carpenters with partitions
made in Bahamas and shipped
over on schooners. There are
barrel poured concrete founda-
tons, old style doors and win
dows, beautiful mortising, differ
ent widths of ceiling board.
quaint bay. attic window with "a
panes. Salt ponds where salted
water was once evaporated to
produce commercial salt. Turtle
crawls. where old fellows as old
as 400 years swim about They
are brought here by schooners
and are fascinating subjects. Tur-