1674-1 W.D. CashKEY WEST
The Old and The New
By JEFFERSON B. BROWNE
A FACSIMILE REPRODUCTION
of the 1912 EDITION
with
INTRODUCTION and INDEX
by E. ASHBY HAMMOND
BICENTENNIAL FLORIDIANA FACSIMILE SERIES
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PRESS
GAINESVILLE 1973
in the new pavement was laid by Mr. Charles R. Pierce of
the board of public works on December 11, 1911.
The total bonded indebtedness of the city is something over
six hundred thousand dollars; the assessed value of all property
in 1900 was two million six hundred and seventy thousand
nine hundred dollars, and in 1910 was four million two hundred
and thirty thousand nine hundred dollars. During that decade
over two hundred thousand dollars' worth of real estate was
condemned and taken over by the United States government.
From 1832, the date of the first charter of the city, the
following citizens have successively been elected to the office
of mayor: Mr. Oliver O'Hara, Mr. Fielding A. Browne, Mr.
William A. Whitehead, Tomaso Sachetti, Mr. Pardon C. Greene,
Mr. Philip J. Fontaine, Mr. Alexander Patterson, Mr. Benjamin
Sawyer, Mr. Walter C. Maloney, Mr. Fernando J. Moreno,
Mr. John P. Baldwin, Mr. John W. Porter, Mr. William Curry,
Mr. Philip J. Fontaine, Mr. Alexander Patterson, Mr. Ben-
jamin Sawyer, Mr. John P. Baldwin, Mr. William Marvin,
Mr. Alexander Patterson, Mr. E. O. Gwynn, Mr. William S.
Allen, Dr. D. W. Whitehurst, Mr. Henry Mulrennan, Mr. Joseph
B. Browne, Mr. William D. Cash, Mr. Winer Bethel, Mr. E. O.
Gwynn, Mr. Carlos M. de Cespedes, Mr. Livingston W. Bethel,
Mr. Robert Jasper Perry, Mr. E. O. Gwynn, Mr. William
McClintock, Mr. R. Alfred Monsalvatge, Mr. James G. Jones,
Mr. J. W. V. R. Plummer, Mr. James A. Waddell, Mr. Walter
C. Maloney, Jr., Mr. Robert J. Perry, Mr. James A. Waddell,
Mr. John B. Maloney, Mr. George L. Bartlum, Mr. Benjamin D.
Trevor, Mr. George L. Babcock and Mr. Joseph N. Fogarty.
The surviving mayors are Mr. William D. Cash, Mr.
Livingston W. Bethel, Mr. John B. Maloney, Mr. George L.
Bartlum, Mr. George L. Babcock, Mr. Benjamin D. Trevor
and Dr. Joseph N. Fogarty, the present incumbent.
When Dr. Fogarty finishes the term for which he was
elected November 14, 1911, he will have the honor of having
held the office of mayor for a longer period—six years—than
any of his predecessors.
Mr. Cornelius J. Kemp, Mr. William B. Curry, Mr. Frank
H. Ladd, Mr. Edward E. Ingraham, Mr. William M. Pinder,
Mr. Charles W. Lowe and Mr. J. R. Valdez compose the present
city council.
On the board of public works are Messrs. William R. Porter,
Jefferson B. Browne, Joshua Curry, Charles R. Pierce and Shirley
C. Bott.
ARTESIAN WELL
In 1895 the city undertook to secure a supply of fresh water,
and an artesian well was sunk in Jackson Square to a depth of
two thousand feet. Samples of the borings were taken every
twenty-five feet from the surface to the bottom. A set of these
samples was furnished by Mr. Alexander Agassiz to Mr. Edmond
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
In 1902 the Key West Chamber of Commerce was organized.
Its first president was Mr. W. D. Cash, he holding that position
until the consolidation of the Chatnber of Commerce with the
Commercial Club in 1910.
COMMERCIAL CLUB
The Commercial Club was organized August 1, 1907,
and had for its purpose the development of the commerce and
industries of Key West. Club rooms were fitted up and the
organization was conducted both as a business and social institu-
tion. Its first president was Mr. William R. Porter, who was
succeeded by Dr. John B. Maloney. In 1910 it was consolidated
with the Chamber of Commerce. Under the plan of consolidation
the name of the latter was retained, and the officers of the Com-
mercial Club became the officers of the new organization. In
November, 1911, in recognition of the valuable services rendered
by Mr. W. D. Cash to the commercial organizations of Key West,
and his long service as president of the Chamber of Commerce,
he was made anhonorary life member without dues, a dis-
tinction not before conferred on any member.
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sixty thousand bushels, but rains set in early, and the crop was
lost. Mr. Fitzpatrick abandoned his works in 1834. The reduc-
tion of the duty on salt after he commenced operations had some
effect probably in producing this result. At one time he had
over thirty hands employed.
The next attempt was made under the auspices of the
La Fayette Salt Company, organized through the exertions of
Mr. Simonton, the principal stockholders being residents of
Mobile and New Orleans. Operations were commenced early
in 1835, but success was not achieved, and the work passed in
a few years into the hands of another company, Messrs. Adam
Gordon, F. A. Browne and William H. Wall being among the
stockholders. Subsequently, about 1843, Charles Howe obtained
the controlling interest, and after the hurricane of 1846 became
the sole proprietor. In 1850 the crop amounted to thirty-five
thousand bushels, and Mr. Howe was encouraged to enlarge
his works by the purchase of the Whitehead portion of the pond,
which had been abandoned by Mr. Fitzpatrick. In 1851 he sold
half of his interest to Mr. W. C. Dennis, to whom the management
of the works was entrusted. The amount of salt produced annually
varied materially, ranging from fifteen or twenty thousand bushels
to seventy-five thousand, the largest crop raked in any one year.
Mr. Dennis continued the manufacture until his death, which
occurred in 1864.
During the Civil War the manufacture of salt on the island
was suspended, in consequence of one of the principal sources
of demand for salt, the Charlotte Harbor fisheries, having been
cut off, the military authorities being apprehensive that the
salt furnished to them would find its way into the Confederacy.
In 1865 Lieutenant W. R. Livermore of the United States
army engineer corps, purchased the works and commenced the
manufacture of salt. He spent a small fortune in the prosecution
of the business, but abandoned it in 1868, after beccrning
convinced that it could not be profitably produced with !.efficient
and irresponsible free negro labor.
In 1847 forty thousand bushels were produced, and until
1855 the quantity varied from thirty-five to forty-eight thousand
bushels. The banner year was 1855 with seventy-five thousand
bushels, and the output until 1861 ranged from sixty to seventy
thousand bushels. In 1861 it fell to thirty thousand bushels.
Between 1862 and 1865, and 1868 and 1871, no attempt was made
to operate the salt ponds. From 1871 to 1875 the output ran
from fifteen to twenty-five thousand bushels. In 1876 the hur-
ricane of October 19th washed away about fifteen thousand
bushels which was ungathered in the pans, and did considerable
injury to the works, which ended all attempts at salt making
by solar evaporation in Key West.
In 1871 part of the salt works passed into the hands of
Messrs. C. and E. Howe, and was subsequently purchased by
Mr. W. D. Cash. In 1906 the entire interest of Mr. Livermore
ed most of his time up in his "buffalo" --as he called his cupola—
with his glass, watching passing vessels, or down along the beach,
superintending his pet schooner, the "Nonpareil" in which he
claimed to have beaten up Nassau harbor under jib alone "to
show the Conchs what an American vessel could do". Dutch
built, portly, large blue eyes and thin white hair, hhee �as wa reli
off older than old times. It was said that as a boy
captur-
ed by pirates, but he would not talk of that experience. He was
pilot for Commodore Porter, and for all naval vessels since 1830,
until age and infirmity compelled him to stop on shore. He
was best known from his reputation as being able to surpass
Mrs. Malaprop, in the use of the vernacular, so that a "Geiger -
ism" when mentioned needed no explanation. A sad commentary
on public opinion, that in his last days, a man of sterling character,
adventurous life, and even heroic deeds, should be known to
and by later generations, only by reason of a trifling deficiency,
and the exploitation of the same!
Old Nicholas Smith, "Long Smith," as he was called, from
his gr: at height, was also a man who wore e tallhat. floor He wasat a
Swede and owned the Stone building, ground
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time occupied, by W. D. Cash, as a grocery store, with Jerry
Fogarty as clerk, and the second and third stories by the United
States court which paid him twelve hundred dollars a year rent.
It is said he never cashed his government checks, but had them
all when he died. He was over sixfeet in
height,and with white
te
hair, and a nose that was large, pendulous
lived in a back room on the ground floor, cooking for himself
and living a hermit's life. At tunes after protracted drinking
bouts with himself, he would get to imagining things, and go
hunting over his building to find who was trying to ruin it.
Fred Filer was another unique specimen of former days.
Broad, fat and Dutchy, and hardly able to speak English, he
was still a power as a vessel owner and lumber dealer. And there
was Jacob Rain, a Russian, with a little cobbler's store on Duval
street. Hardly ever speaking unless spoken to, but when one
penetrated the crust he was genial, and proved to be an estimable
character. His knowledge of English was not sufficient, however,
to understand all that was meant, and when John Boyle with
Irish wit one day threatened to "beat his brains out with a
sponge" he did not get mad until the next day, when he saw the
implication.
"Old Tinker Bill" was also one who added to the gaiety
of life in those days, especially when "inspired." There are many
who recall when lower Duval and Front streets would resound
with his voice as he sang in stentorian tones, "Home again, home
again from a foreign shore" to be suddenly broken into with
"Who the hell's that?" or "Where the hell are you going?"
shouted to some midnight passer-by.
John Baptiste Grillon, French, was also a well known
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