Dinner Key
Posted by: 
BrewSleuth
N 25° 43.685 W 080° 14.052
17R E 576816 N 2845794
Dinner Key was originally an island, but was connected to the mainland in 1914 and has since been a base of operations for the U.S. Navy, Pan American World Airways, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Waymark Code: WMA087
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/25/2010
Views: 18
Marker text - Picnickers in sailboat days gave the key its name. In World War I, it was a Naval air base. In 1930, Pan American World Airways here inaugurated flying boat service to Latin America, erecting huge hangers and a terminal. The U.S. Government dredged first channel in history especially for aircraft. Over 100,000 visitors a month came to see the giant Flying Clippers.
Coast Guard established seaplane base in 1932. In World War II, Navy and Pan American operated flying boats here until Latin American airports built for hemispheric defense enabled use of more economical landplanes. City of Miami purchased key in 1946.
History of Dinner Key - A United States Naval Air Station was established on Dinner Key in 1917. NAS Dinner Key was the second largest naval air facility in the U.S. and used to train seaplane pilots. The Air Station was closed shortly after the end of World War I and taken over by commercial operators. The Navy returned to Dinner Key during World War II, operating there from 1943 until 1945.
Dinner Key served as a base for Pan American World Airways's flying boats during the 1930s and 1940s. It was one of the world's largest airports and the main hub for air traffic between North and South America. Technological advances of World War II and the construction of suitable airports in South America made seaplanes largely obsolete, and Pan Am transferred its operations to Miami International Airport.
The United States Coast Guard operated an Air Station at Dinner Key from 1932 until 1965, when operations were transferred to the Opa-locka Airport.
One of Pan Am's hangars was used for many years as the Dinner Key Auditorium. This was the site of the 1969 incident in which Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested for indecent exposure. Morrison turned down a plea deal that required The Doors to perform a free Miami concert and he was subsequently convicted, fined and sentenced to jail. Morrison appealed but died in Paris before serving his sentence.
Today, Dinner Key is used primarily as a marina. Three of Pan Am's original four hangars remain in use for boat storage. The old Pan Am terminal building has served as the Miami City Hall since 1954.
Marker Number: none found
Date: 1953
County: Miami-Dade
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: Historical Association of Southern Florida
Website: Not listed
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