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Historian, Betty Bruce was an important person in the development of the history department. She needed to be recognized.

The man, myth and legend.

Great job, Dr. Malcom! I was sad to miss this in person but so grateful to be able to watch it here on TH-cam.

Went for the first time last summer.

I have looked everywhere online and cannot find a picture of the completed Monroe County Wooden Card Sound Draw Bridge in place from 1922-1947.

I salute those 15 loyal Southerners

Uncle Remus said, cool... thanks for sharing.

Good knowledge - Thanks for spending the time to make the video and all your research📚📓📒📖📕

Thank you for sharing.

Basically state sanctioned, legalized piracy...😂

I love the history of Key West and this is about as good as it gets. Thank You!

Great information. Love the history of Key West

So glad you guys made this possible before Tom retired, great job

What a gem! Too bad this is bullshit. Plenty of southern sympathies and slavery in Florida.

This is wonderful. I remember as a young child, my parents drove down from Boston to visit Delray Beach FL. My dad decided we should explore the Keys. I remember my mom driving in our Chevy Woody, going down this wooden bridge. At one point it was SO narrow that mom ran over this guy's fish that he had just caught.. he was yelling and shaking his fist, and my dad said.. Don't stop.. keep on going. We would remember that poor fish every time we went to Bahia Honda and Key West. I remember being a bit safer BUT quite sad, when they Replaced the wood with a modern cement highway. It lost so much charm.. but of course it was necessary.

Thank you. I can understand now how Carl Hiaasen got some of his ideas.

Been visiting twice a year or more since 2003. Love the Keys. I’m now a senior and the Keys hotel prices are too much for me. I’ll miss them.

Liked and subscribed. I'm a 1953 Native who enjoys reliving my childhood in the Keys.

Thank you Mr. Hambright. Your history lessons are overwhelmingly awesome; I adore hearing about our South Florida history. I am honored to be a Keys’ native. By the way, I love that 1928 map! Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.

I Love the History lessons of the Florida Key's. Great Job Tom, keep them coming.👏👍

I lived in Key West from the early 50's till 1968. I remember that some of the bridges alternated one way because of large commerce. (Bigger trucks) When my Grandfather and I would drive up to Bahia Honda (it was his favorite fishing spot, under the bridge, walk out on the pipeline) we would keep our arms in the car as we passed others with their fishing poles out the windows. I remember when Duval was one way ......

Thanks for sharing.

I remember the Keys in the 60s and 70s. It was much more pleasant back then. By 1978 the bars on Duval Street were back humming at night. Great memories.

More revisionist and politically correct history. The majority of Key West residents were pro South. Slavery did not end in Key West with Union occupation. Slavery remained legal in Key West, just like it did in Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware until the end of the war and ratification of the 13th Amendment. Mallory Square is named after Stephen Mallory who was from Key West and Secretary of the Confederate Navy.

I always wondered about this, but where exactly were the Native Americans living in the keys around this time.

The first time I met Tom was 15 years or so ago when the State of Florida hired me, a professional land surveyor, and a friend who is a professional title expert, to do historical research on State road 4. The State people were studying the viability of using the old right of way for a hiking trail. We started our research in the courthouse, of course, but we discovered that the really old title records had been transferred to the library. All of the early deed books were stored in the vault and the nice ladies in the records room at the courthouse told us to find a guy by the name of Tom to help us out. We wandered over to the library and found our way into the vault when Tom got back from lunch. Wow!! Tom was very kind to us and listened carefully to our story, and then he showed us where the deed books were, and that kept us busy for the best part of the afternoon. Later, Tom motioned for me to follow him into the stacks where we discovered a complete copy of the original State Road Department right of way map for all of State Road 4 from the ferry dock on the East side of No Name Key, all the way to downtown Key West, which map was dated 1924 if memory serves. I had done several preservation acquisition projects in the Keys for the State before that and had run across state Road 4 a number of times, had asked the State Department had any mapping, and even got them to dig around in their historic vaults in Tallahassee, to no avail. Tom is a true treasure! The second time we met, I dragged my lawyer wife in to meet him about 5 or 8 years ago. She was astonished at the volume of historical records and we both gleefully dug around in the stacks. Tom watched us, of course, and once he figured out what interested my wife, he showed her where to look. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading, studying, looking at pictures; Well if you've ever been in that vault you know what I mean. I can't say enough nice things about Key West, your library, and especially Tom Hambright.

Fort Jefferson was already there all the "Forts " were

That's already old -the didn't build that -those bricks are way way older than they say-

100 miles of small Island's, Mangrove swamps, no roads. Erect a Fort arm it with Rodmens . What a Defence. To bad they destroyed the top part of our Fort. 🙂 well at least we have good records an Pictures

The Civil War for Key West was so contentious during that time as Fort Jefferson took prisoners from the war to the isolated garrison to help finish the construction of the fort under extreme heat, starvation, and yellow fever the Key West population and Cuban population were dealing with the same issues. Children were sent to Key West from Cuba to protect them and yet the mosquitos brought the pestilence to our shores and mangroves and undergone cisterns and killed many. It was a sad time with the backdrop of rebellion and increased military presence that also succumbed to the Florida Keys hostile environment. What is fascinating is how the military and civilian populous worked together to irradiated the mosquito infestation and supply chain whoahs. From the Civil War Cubans found revolution in the air... but that is another time.

I've been lucky enough to explore the forts of Key West & camp at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. I really loved the Exquisite masonry craftsmanship of the forts.

remember driving over the old bridges especially bahia Honda, white knuckles all the way, no wonder there's so many bars in keywest

Very informative! Thank you for the in-depth perspective on economic reasons for the CR's existence.😀

When I was in college, Tom let me sit in the back room with him for countless hours. His personality and sense of humor made my very stressful and very challenging experience easier and enjoyable. You are an amazing man, and you helped so many people including myself. Enjoy your time off, knowing that you legacy will always be in the Key West library and in the alley and streets of Key West forever.

Thank you, Tom. You sat me down with the files & maps also and helped me research the history of my house and the founding Key Westers who built it. Great job for so many over the years. You are much loved.

hey tom, thanks for your help and friendship for the past 25 years...you've helped us immeasurably here at the newspaper and its ALWAYS a pleasure walking into and seeing you in the 'florida room.' i'm gonna get you a real cuban cigar later this month, you just have to promise to light this one:)... take care, rob o.

who doesn't love this guy!!!

Great stuff!

I really enjoyed this. I’m from key largo and recently got into cigars. So it’s interesting to see the history locally.

Love the video

Florida civil war history!must be preserved

Florida civil war history must be preserved! Great video

why

I'm binge-watching ALL OF this man's KW Library videos. He is a goldmine! So much of our history is lost when people die, and so I thank 'you' (whoever you are) for recording him on camera.

Someone put together a bunch of old newspaper and charter boat pictures to show how the catches had changed over the years and of course they had these photos of 10-15 huge groupers or sail fish or snappers and they mounted some and ate some a gave some to the crews but a lot was wasted. Kind of sad . It was a college student did it for a research project wish I could remeber the school.

Great history thank you

Increible

I've driven the bridges and wondered what the history was. Thanks for this video.

Love the history ❤️ Cher

Very nice 👍 history lesson on the Florida keys ....thank you sir.