The History Of The Southernmost Point 1 - Key West, FL - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The History Of The Southernmost Point

Black residents used the beach immediatly west of the Southernmost Point because it was adjacent to their community and they were not allowed to use the "white" beach from Duval Street to Simonton Street. In the summer of 1942 shortly after the start of WWII, the Navy placed a chain link fence around the landso it could no longer be used by civilians. The black population's only access to the ocean at that point became the foot of Whitehead Street until desegration in the mid 1960's. Black fisherman used the area to store boats and clean their catch, which would be strung on a line to be sold to locals and taken home. The shellfish-conchs-were also brought ashore, killed and cleaned. In the mid 1960's one could still buy "a string of conchs" for only a couple of dollars. Conch shells became a desirable souvenir with the advent of the sight-seeing train in 1958. By the 1970's Albert Kee and his father, "Yankee" Kee had become fixtures along the route blowing conch horns as the train came by.

Group that erected the marker: Unknown URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: South Street Key West, Florida USA 33040

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