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 Located 150 miles from Miami at the western terminus of the
Florida Keys, Key West has been a thriving community for more than 170 years.
The first settlers, who came from South Carolina and St. Augustine, arrived in
1821 with the transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States. In the
mid-19th century prosperity in Key West was based on the thriving maritime
salvage business. The construction in the 1840s of Forts Zachary Taylor and
Jefferson and the U.S. Naval Station helped boost the economy, and strengthened
the strategic importance of Key West. It was the only Southern port held by
Union forces throughout the Civil War and during the Spanish-American War, was
one of the United States' most significant naval bases. The city has also an
important cigar-making center, boosted by the large number of Cuban refugees on
the island. The arrival of Henry Flagler's railroad in 1912 promoted the
development of the Keys, and the easy access to mainland Florida was a catalyst
for the early development of the tourism industry. Key West continued to be of
importance as a strategic naval base through the 1960s and today is a busy
resort city.
For more on Key West, visit
 DiscoverFloridaKeys.com
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