Tales of Yesterday's Florida Keys

by John Viele

Overview

A collection of stories of people and events in the Florida Keys extending from the time the Keys were first occupied by humans, through the Second Seminole War, the coming of the Overseas Railway, and finally the opening of the first Overseas Highway in 1927. The tales tell of American Indians, Cubans, Bahamians, New Englanders, and of fishing, turtling, shipwreck salvaging, warring, and of course dealing with heat and mosquitoes. John Viele's three volumes, The Florida Keys, have been Keys bestsellers for years. Now he presents a fascinating new batch of historical vignettes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561649938
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2017
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	182
Sales rank:	1,043,925
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

John Viele is a retired naval officer and former submarine commander who now lives on Cudjoe Key, Florida. A lifelong interest in history and a deep love for the Florida Keys led him to research and write Keys history stories for local newspapers and magazines. He serves on the board of directors of the Key West Maritime Historical Society and is a frequent lecturer on Keys history.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1 — Keys Indians
  
  1. Indians thrived in the keys before Columbus
  2. Culture of 1600s Keys Indians Explored
  3. Keys Indians were First Keys Mariners
  4. Keys Indians Driven out by late 1700’s
• Chapter 2 — Settlement and Development of the Rural Keys
  
  1. 1860’s Population Booms
  2. Key’s Population Traced through Trends in the 1800’s
  3. Population Grew Despite Hardships
  4. Her Father Developed Summerland Key
• Chapter 3 — Settler Life
  
  1. A Young Visitors Trip to Big Pine Key
  2. George Parsons and Friend Take Passage on Mail Boat
  3. Sands Family Settles on Big Pine Key
  4. Naturalist Simpson Tramps the Keys
  5. The House that George Adderly Built
• Chapter 4 — Surveyors
  
  1. George Gauld’s Directions for Sailing the Keys
  2. Canova Samples Keys Timber and Visits Pineapple Plantations
• Chapter 5 — Keys Travelers
  
  1. Keys Schooner Trip in 1874
  2. Keys Travelers Faced Shoals, Mosquitos, Gales and Calms
  3. Singing Entertained Keys Sailors
  4. Mail Delivery by Schooner was Erratic
  5. Mail Came after Wrecks and Turtles
  6. Cruise to Cape Sable Dangerous in 1840
  7. Whitehead’s Voyage to Key West
  8. Winifred’s Memories of Childhood Journeys On the Overseas Railway
• Chapter 6 — Wrecks
  
  1. Loss of Schooner Olive Branch
  2. Deliverance of HMS Carysfort
  3. Lightship Once Marked Carysfort Reef
• Chapter 7 — Wrecking
  
  1. A Voyage on a Wrecker in 1831
  2. Ship Lost, But Crew Saved
  3. Bending the Truth in the Wrecking Court
  4. Not Enough to Save the Cargo; Wreckers Must Guard It
  5. County Divided in Two Over Wrecking Rights
  6. Key Vaca Wreckers Conspired With Privateers
  7. Porter Pursues Shady Key Vaca Wreckers
• Chapter 8 — Hurricanes
  
  1. Ships’ Crews Terrified by 1846 Hurricane
  2. Disaster and Survival in the 1856 Hurricane
• Chapter 9 — Second Seminole War
  
  1. Seminoles’ Origin
  2. Seminole War Begins
  3. Cruise to Cape Sable In 1840 Was Dangerous
  4. Small Schooner Survives Indian Attacks; Crew Does Not
  5. Carysfort Lightship Captain and Crew Ambushed
  6. Stephen Mallory Goes to War and Wins a Bride
• Chapter 10 — Pirates and Smugglers
  
  1. Were There Really Bands of Pirate in the Keys?
  2. Smuggler Gets Best of Revenue Officers
• Chapter 11 — Black History
  
  1. Fugitive Slaves Sought Refuge in the Keys
  2. Black Mariners of the Keys