Winter 2015

 

A Word from the President Richard Russell

One year ago, the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, launched a fundraising campaign called the Charter Club, with the goal of 100 members from founding families, long-time residents, community supporters and history buffs. This special group of more than 30 already has helped us launch a very successful first year of operating the Keys History & Discovery Center, with more than eight rotating exhibits on topics such as the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Flagler's railroad and Overseas Highway. In addition, we have installed our first of a dozen permanent exhibits, Legends of the Line, launched a lecture series and started construction on a state-of-the-art theater.

 

It is because of these Charter Club members and their commitment of $10,000 over the course of five years, all this has been accomplished in a short time. In addition to the support of Charter members and through nearly 200 annual members and general donations, the Foundation has received more than $180,000, with pledges totaling $372,000. While these are great accomplishments, this is only the beginning. Plans for 2015 include opening the theater in the spring, installing four permanent exhibits covering topics such as Spanish shipwrecks, pirates, wreckers, and more. (See Curator's Corner below for details.)

 

We continue to seek Charter Club and Annual members to completely outfit the two-story, 7,500 square foot Keys History & Discovery Center to showcase our community's unique history and allow for a place of discovery.

 


The front lobby will soon reflect this design with 

two donor boards and a ceiling-high graphic element. 

 

It is not too late to become a Charter Club member! As we near the completion of our first donor board, we'd like to invite others to join us on this mission.  Charter Club members' names will be memorialized on a beautiful and uniquely-designed donor board which includes a monitor scrolling photos of the Charter Club members and their families, getting a glimpse into their family history.

 

We'd like to express our thanks to the following individuals, families and foundations that have joined us on this journey to preserve and share the wonderful and unique history of the Upper Keys and hope you too will consider becoming a part of the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation.

 

Charter Club Members as of Feb. 12, 2015

Mrs. George M. Barley Jr.

Jim and Maryann Bokor

Connie and Dan Burkhardt

The Cockerham Family

C. David Curry

Brett Ekblom and Family

Mike Forster, Mangrove Mike's

Patricia Haase

Frank and Inge Hawkins

George and Dorothy Hertel

Kinzy and Sharon Jones

The Knudsen Family

Robert and Joanne Leef

The Lindback Family

Bob and Patty Lodge

Scott and Debi McFarland

Louis E. Miranda

Bob and Phyllis Mitchell

Scott and Danette Newberry

The Nichols Family

Craig Overholt

Joseph B. and Cerise Pinder III

Henry Rosenthal

The Rich Russell Family

Dick and Andi Saylor

Alan and Elaine Schulberg

Cale and Margie Smith

James and Lori Terra

Randy and Linda Thomas

Vicki L. Walker

Stephen and Judith Wertheimer

Rachel Wray

Charles G. Wright Endowment for Humanity


Coming Soon! State-of-the-Art Theater

Construction began in January on the build-out of the state-of-the-art, 35-seat theater on the second floor of the Keys History & Discovery Center. A committee of the Foundation Board of Directors and award-winning film producer Jon Landau selected the project vendor of Innovative Technology Solutions. Native Construction is the subcontractor for the project. Completion is expected in April. Showing in the theater will be looping videos throughout the day, including interviews with legendary anglers and hurricane survivors, historic documentaries as well as regularly scheduled movie nights. The theater is made possible, in part, through a grant received by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

 

Monthly Lecture Series

History lessons abound in the coming months as we have a great list of speakers. Topics include Lignumvitae Key, Dolphin Research Center and Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. Members of the Discovery Center are free, general public charge is $25, including cost of admission to the exhibit. Light appetizers and cash bar available. Reservations are strongly suggested and can be made via e-mail, info@keysdiscovery.com or by calling 305-922-2237.

 

  • Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5-7:30 p.m. - History of Lignumvitae Key with Park Ranger Janice Duquesnel, Florida Park Service
  • Tuesday, March 24, 5-7:30 p.m. - Follow Our Flukeprint: History of Dolphin Research Center with Courtney Coburn, assistant director of education.
  • Wednesday, April 29, 5-7:30 p.m. - Keeping Them Flying in the Keys with Environmental Educator Ian Martin, Florida Keys Wild Bird Center

 

Roadside Attractions on Display, along with The Rails and The Road

Roadside Attractions, brings to life more than a dozen destinations along the scenic Overseas Highway, including animal rehabilitation facilities such as the Wild Bird Center and Turtle Hospital, the Florida Keys Memorial, the lone remaining mile marker used by Henry Flagler's railroad and the seemingly out of place Perky Bat Tower.

 

The exhibit, Roadside Attractions, features more than 80 images and gives a peek into the histories of some of the most significant attractions to spring up beside the Overseas Highway since it opened to traffic in 1928.

 

Among the list of roadside destinations explored in the exhibit are the world's first undersea park, Betsy the giant lobster, a dock where some of the biggest tarpon the area has to offer wait to be hand-fed, and a visit to the memorial of the most famous dolphin of all time, Mitzi, who became internationally known as the face of Flipper.

 

In addition, The Rails and The Road, features more than 150 black and white images, and explores the two conduits that have linked mainland America to her southernmost archipelago, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway and the Overseas Highway.

 

Brad Bertelli and the Curator's Corner: What's Next?

 

Four new permanent exhibits are in the works! The first will explore the pirates, wreckers and salvage operations that once worked the Florida Reef and will include stories about Black Caesar, the notorious Florida wrecker John Jacob Housman and the father of modern treasure hunting, Art McKee, who opened one of the first treasure museums in the world on Plantation Key.

 

The second of the four new exhibits will tackle the Spanish treasure fleets. In addition to a look at the nuts and the bolts of the centuries-long operation, the exhibit will delve into the history of Pedro Menendez, who not only established the oldest continually occupied settlement in America - St. Augustine, but was the man commissioned by Spain to determine the safest way for the great Spanish

floras to travel back and forth from the New World. Particular attention will be paid to the doomed 1733 New Spain Fleet that departed Havana on Friday, July 13, and encountered a devastating hurricane while it attempted to cross the Florida Straits. In fact, the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park was established to commemorate the San Pedro, one of the ships that sunk in the storm.

 

The third on the list of new exhibits will highlight the archipelago's first inhabitants and will include information about the Indians most closely associated with the Florida Keys, the Calusa and Tequesta. The fourth is a companion exhibit to Legends of the Line that will explore the Florida Keys rich history of commercial fishing in the Florida Keys and cover a range of topics from sponges and shrimp to turtles and sharks. Even Mitzi the dolphin, better known by her stage name Flipper, was harvested from the waters of the Florida Keys. Also included with the opening of the exhibit will be the addition of more of the fishing legends who helped make the Florida Keys and the Upper Keys in particular one of the world's preeminent fishing destinations.

 

These four permanent exhibits are funded, in part, through a grant from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

 

Shout-out to Our Wonderful Volunteer Docents

We are grateful to have more than 25 volunteers serving as docents, staffing the museum Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Volunteers work 3.5 hours shifts and are the reason our doors stay open. Remember we only have two paid staff members, the executive director and the curator/historian. A special thank you to the following for volunteering for five or more shifts from November through January: Cynthia Boerner, Kim Bouchard, Lisa Bradeen, Anne Broyhill, Matt Hetmen, and Jean and Forrest Simmons. Because of their generous time commitment, each receives a free individual Annual Membership. If you are interested in volunteering, stop by or contact Board Member Phyllis Mitchell at phyllis@sunsetbay82.com or call 305-301-3624.

 

Key Information about Keys History & Discovery Center

The Discovery Center is in Islamorada, MM 82, located at the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost. The exhibit is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $12. Admission for seniors is $10 and children 13-under are free. Annual members of the Discovery Center receive free admission.