| Key West FL is the southernmost city in
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| | "Bahama Village" is an area of Old town
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| the Continental United States. Key West
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| | next to the Truman Annex largely
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| is a city and an island by the same name
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| | inhabited by Bahaman immigrants.
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| near the southernmost tip of the Florida
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| | Fishing, salt production and ocean
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| Keys and encompasses the namesake island,
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| | salvage were major industries in the
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| the part of Stock Island north of US 1,
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| | early 19th century. The salvage
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| Sigsbee Park and Sunset Key.
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| | operations made Key West the largest and
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| Many passenger cruise ships utilize Key
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| | richest city in Florida and residents had
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| West as a seaport. Key West
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| | a high concentration of fine furniture
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| International Airport also serves the
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| | and fancy chandeliers which the locals
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| area. Naval Air Station Key West offers
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| | used in their homes after taking them
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| a training site for Naval Aviation.
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| | from shipwrecks on the Florida reefs.
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| Key West is officially known for having
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| | During the Civil War Fort Zachary Taylor
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| the nation's first and oldest continuous
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| | was established in Key West after Florida
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| gay and lesbian chamber of commerce.
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| | seceded and joined the confederate States
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| Thus the city's motto "One Human Family"
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| | of America. It was an important outpost
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| Kay West was inhabited by ancient peoples
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| | and now contains the largest collection
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| known as the Calusa People in
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| | of Civil War cannons ever discovered in a
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| Pre-Columbian times. Juan Ponce De Leon
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| | single location.
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| was the first European to visit the area
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| | In 1912 Key West was connected to the
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| and the island was known as Cayo Hueso.
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| | Florida mainland via the Overseas Railway
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| It was established as a fishing and
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| | extension. The railway created a
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| salvage village with a small fort to
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| | landfill at Trumbon Point for rail yards.
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| protect the Spanish colony.
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| | In 1935 the Labor Day Hurricane
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| Cayo Hueso literally means "bone key" as
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| | destroyed much of the railroad and hilled
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| it is said that the island is littered
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| | hundreds. About 400 World War I veterans
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| with the bones from an Indian battlefield
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| | living in camps there working on federal
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| or burial ground. It is thought that the
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| | road projects and mosquito control
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| name changed to Key West is an
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| | projects in the Middle Keys were also
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| Anglicization of the word "Hueso" that
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| | killed. It was too expensive to restore
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| could mean west in English. Many
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| | the railroad. In 1938 The Federal
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| businesses on the island use the name.
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| | Government rebuilt the rail lines as an
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| Great Britain took control of Florida in
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| | automobile highway. Completed in 1938 it
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| the late 1700's and relocated the
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| | became an extension of the US Highway 1.
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| Spaniards and Indians to Havana. Florida
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| | The portion of US 1 running though the
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| passed back to the Spanish 20 years later
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| | Keys is called the Overseas Highway.
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| but they did not formally resettle. The
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| | Numerous artists and writers have come to
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| island was used by fishermen from Cuba
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| | the Keys but the two most associated with
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| and joined by fishermen from the United
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| | the island are Ernest Hemmingway and
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| States.
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| | Tennessee Williams. Hemmingway
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| The island was deeded to Juan Pablo Salis
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| | reportedly wrote 2 novels "A Farewell to
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| in 1815 but when Florida was transferred
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| | Arms" and "To Have and Have Not" while
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| to the United States Salas was eager to
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| | living in the Keys. The Ernest Hemingway
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| sell the island. First he sold it for a
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| | House and Sloppy Joes Bar have become
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| sloop valued at $575 and then to a US
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| | important tourist's attractions. The
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| businessman named Simonton for about
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| | Hemingway House is currently inhabited by
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| $2,000. The sloop trader sold it to a
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| | six or seven toed polydactyl cats
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| man named Geddes who could not secure
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| | descended form Hemingway's original pert
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| rights to the property because Simonton
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| | named "Snowball". The cats live on the
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| had help from influential friends in
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| | grounds and are cared for by the
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| Washington and gained clear title.
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| | Hemingway House even though the USDA
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| Simonton bought the island because he had
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| | complains about the number of them housed
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| learned of the opportunities presented by
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| | there. The Key West City Commission
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| the strategic location. Simonton's
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| | exempted the house from a law prohibiting
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| friend John Whitehead, once stranded on
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| | more than four domestic animals per
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| the islands by a shipwreck had seen the
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| | household.
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| deep harbor.
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| | Tennessee Williams is said to have
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| Lying 90 in a strategic location on the
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| | written the first draft of "A Streetcar
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| deep shipping lane Straits of Florida the
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| | Named Desire" while staying at the La
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| harbor was considered the "Gibraltar of
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| | Concha Hotel. He bought a permanent
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| the West". Matthew Perry said into the
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| | house and listed Key West as his
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| harbor in 1822 and physically planted the
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| | permanent residence. Williams' home in
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| US flag to claim it as US property. He
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| | the "unfashionable" New Town neighborhood
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| reported on the piracy problems and
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| | is quite the contrast to the elegant
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| renamed it "Thompson's Island" and named
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| | Hemingway house. It is a very modest
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| the harbor "Port Rodgers". Neither name
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| | bungalow. The house is privately owned
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| stuck. In 1823 Commodore David Porter
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| | and is not open to the public. The
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| took charge and tried to rule the island
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| | Tenn4essee Williams Theatre is located on
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| as a military dictator under martial law.
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| | the campus of Florida Keys Community
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| Simonton soon subdivided the island into
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| | College on Stock Island.
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| plots and sold 3 undivided quarters of
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| | Key West is much closer to Havana than to
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| each plot to private individuals.
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| | Miami. In 1890 it had a population of
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| Simonton spent the winter in Key West and
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| | nearly 18,800 which made it the richest
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| then the summer in Washington to lobby
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| | and biggest city in Florida. The
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| for development of the island and for the
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| | population was nearly half Cuban descent
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| establishment of a naval base. Among
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| | and the city had a succession of Cuban
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| other first founders are Pardon Green who
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| | mayors. Cubans were reportedly active in
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| moved there permanently and became a
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| | nearly 200 factories in town producing
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| prominent businessman. John Whitehead
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| | cigars.
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| lived there for 8 years and partnered
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| | The Battleship Maine was blown up after
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| with Greene in the firm of "P.C. Greene
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| | sailing from Key West to Havana which
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| and Company". He left the island for
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| | ignited the Spanish American War.
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| good in 1832 returning only once during
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| | Pan American Airlines was founded in Key
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| the Civil War. John Fleeming, active in
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| | West to fly visitors to Havana.
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| the mercantile business in Alabama was a
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| | John Kennedy used the phrase "90 miles to
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| friend of Simonton. He spent only a few
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| | Cuba" in his speeches against Fidel
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| months in Key West before leaving to
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| | Castro.
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| marry in Massachusetts. He returned to
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| | There were regular ferry and airplane
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| Key West intending to develop the slat
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| | services between Key West and Havana
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| manufacturing of the island but died soon
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| | until the revelation in 1959. Refugees
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| after. The names of these founding
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| | flooded into Key West during the Mariel
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| fathers of modern Key West used as names
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| | Boatlift and continue to come across the
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| for the main arteries of the island.
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| | dangerous stretch of waters.
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| Many residents of Key West emigrated from
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| | In 1982 Key West and the rest of the Keys
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| the Bahamas. They were known as Counch.
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| | tried to declare independence and become
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| They arrived in ever increasing numbers
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| | the "Conch Republic" in a protest over US
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| after 1830. Sons and daughters of
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| | Border Patrol blockades. The blockade
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| Loyalists fled to the nearest British
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| | was set up in response to the Mariel
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| soil during the American Revelation.
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| | Boatlift. This blockade created a 17
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| Many of residents of Key West refer to
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| | mile traffic jam when the Border Patrol
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| themselves as Conchs and the term is now
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| | stopped every car to search for illegal
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| generally applied to all residents of Key
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| | immigrants. The Florida Keys were
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| West. The term "Fresh Water Counch"
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| | virtually paralyzed as tourism nearly
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| refers to a resident not "native born"
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| | ground to a halt. Couch Republic flags
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| but who has lived there for more than
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| | and T shirts are still popular souvenirs
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| seven years. The name is derived from
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| | for visitors. The Counch Republic
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| the tradition of placing a conch shell on
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| | Independence Celebration is celebrated
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| a pole at the home of a new born baby.
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| | each April 23.
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