The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-04-13
Tampa Morning Tribune
Writes Splendid Editorial i
About Island Of Key I, West
Tampa Morning Tribune, in a

4dtlPd MOEDlHS ArlpuHci IN q
recent issue, has written an edi-
torial on Key West that is very
interesting and enlightening. It
should prove good reading not
only for visitors to. the CONF
munity, but the citizens them
selves.
The editorial follows:
Winter White House
Time was when residents Of
the Florida mainland were fond
of saying derisively that Key
West wasn't part Of the state.
With the Island City's resurgence
into prominence. a place of note
on the nations map, we hear no
more Sneers, All Florida is proud
TO claim Key West as entirely
Floridian.
Key Vests fame became ma
tionwide when President Tru-
man chose it as his favorite vaca-
ton spot. Now it's centrally
known as the location: of the.
s.Winter White House" The Pres
ident is there again, with. 10
members of his staff, accom-
panied by a flock of newspaper
correspondents and photograph
ers.a occupying a rambling wood
en- building at the Naval Base.
White House news now is date
lined Key West, Fla" Every
thing that happens there is re-
garded as worthy.
Mr.. Truman, however, is not
the. first widely known parsonage
to recognize the charm of Key
West The little city for years
has been attracting celebrities.
Author Ernest Hemingway owns
a house there and his novel, To
Have. and Have Not, has a Key
West { background. Celebrated
painters. have. found its natural
beauty appealing, including John
j. Audubon and Winslow Homer
Other authors have made Key
West the scene Of their stories.F
Once Key West had the honor Of
a Visitefrom another President,
William H. Taft, who went there
to attend the celebration of the
opening of Flagler's overseas
railroad =
SixtN miles southwest of the
Florida peninsula, the coral IS
land Is only four and a half
miles dong and one mile. wide
There IS mistaken idea as to-
its nafie. The original Spanish
nape sSUas .Cayo Hueso.s This
has ben generally accepted as.
meaning Key West-but. instead, 5
if means Bone Key" so named
because the Spaniards found on
it many skeletons of Indians The
Spanish name became corrupted
in English to Key West Only 100
miles acrosS the Gulf Stream
from CUBA, Key West is 155
miles from Miami and almost as
far FROM Tallahassee as Talla-i
hasseeais from Washington.
For Years pirates infested Key
West "a 1922 a U. S. Naval Base,
was established and Commodore
Portersw stationed there to
chase but the freebooters and
protect our heavy sea trade in
neighheriag waters. Many exiled
revolutionists from Cuba settled
there and helped free that island
from Spanish rule. They estab-s
lished cigar factories and this in
dustry with fisheries and ocean
trade, 1nade Key West prosper
Gus. Atsthe turn of the century,
however, the ocean trade was di-
verified TO mainland ports and the
cigar Jndustry moved to Tampa,
largely because of labor troubles.
Then lagler came to the rescue
with - :'sea- going railroad" It
became d tourist resort. Calamity
struck gain in the 1895 hurgi-
cane, washing out the railroad
which Was not rebuilt. It looked
as sif hey West would become a.
ghost city, The l00-mile Over
seas Highway following, the
route of the railroad, put Key
West again in touch with the.
coptinest II again became a re-