|
If
you
are
not
familiar
with
the
general
area,
click
HERE
for
a
basic
area
map.
Big
Pine
Key,
or
Big
Pine
for
short,
is
slightly
different
from
the
Middle
and
Upper
Keys.
First
it
is
oolitic
limestone
and
not
Key
Largo
Limestone.
Fresh
water
can
be
found
in
oolitic
formations
but
rarely
in
Key
Largo
Limestone.
Its
namesake
the
pine
tree
is
rare
in
the
Middle
or
Upper
Keys.
It
is
generally
thought
to
be
fairly
large
having
about
5,816
acres,
but
small
compared
to
Key
Largo
with
about
22,000
acres.
Historically,
some
permanent
settling
caught
on
in
the
Middle
and
Upper
Keys
in
the
early
1800s,
but
little
in
Big
Pine
until
the
mid-1800s.
Therefore,
after
World
War
II,
when
settling
in
all
the
Florida
Keys
became
an
interest
to
outsiders,
Big
Pine
had
plenty
of
space,
but
no
public
electricity
or
water.
Bradley
Real
Estate
was
the
only
real
estate
broker
between
the
Middle
Keys
and
Key
West.
It
is
also
home
of
the
Key
deer.
So
with
this
in
mind
we
move
back
in
time.
For
this
web
site
I
have
used
the
1870
census
for
my
general
reference.
In
1870,
the
census
enumerator
only
listed
one
family
on
Big
Pine.
There
were
however,
more
on
Big
Pine’s
neighbor
-
No
Name
Key
-
than
on
Big
Pine.
No
Name
Key
lists
44
inhabitants
which
was
a
large
settlement
for
a
Key
of
its
size.
Below
is
an
excerpt
from
the
1870
census:
Hse # Fam # Surname Family Name Age Sex Occupation Prop. Birthplace
BIG PINE KEY July 22:
25 23 Wilson, George 30 m Charcoal burner N.Y.
NO NAME KEY July 23:
26 24 Thrift, William 24 m Farmer $200 Bahamas
27 28 Thrift, Joseph 60 m Farmer $250 Bahamas
" Hannah 60 f Keeping house "
28 26 Carey, William 27 m Farmer $200 "
" Hannah 21 f Keeping house "
" Mary 2 f Fla.
29 27 Knowles, Thomas 44 m Farmer $300 Bahamas
30 28 Sands, John 39 m Seaman $200 "
" Amelia 30 f Keeping house Bahamas
" Amelia 1 f Fla.
31 29 Lowe, Joseph 60 m Farmer $250 Bahamas
32 30 Knowles, William 23 m Farmer $300 Bahamas
" Susannah 20 f Keeping house "
33 - - - - - - - -
34 31 Matcovitch, Nichols 45 m Farmer $1,000 La.
" Eliza 35 f Keeping house Bahamas
" George 1 m Fla.
35 - - - - - - - -
36 - - - - - - - -
37 32 Knowles, Alexander 29 m Seaman $200 Bahamas
" Mary 18 f Keeping house "
38 - - - - - - - -
39 33 Cates, William 25 m Seaman $200 Bahamas
" Margaret 26 f Keeping house "
40 34 Thompson, Joseph 79 m farmer $300 "
" John 34 m farmer "
Knowles, David 14 m "
41 - - - - - - - -
42 35 Sands, John 27 m farmer $250 Bahamas
" Susan 50 f Keeping house "
" John 21 m seaman "
" Susan 9 f "
43 - - - - - - - -
44 36 Carey, Benjamin 28 m Farmer $275 Bahamas
" Susan 25 f Keeping house "
" Margaret 5 f "
" Emma 1 f Fla.
45 37 Cates, John 34 m seaman $200 Bahamas
" Isabella 27 f keeping house "
" Catherine 6 f Fla.
" Mary 1 f "
46 38 Carey, John 50 m seaman $225 Bahamas
" Sarah Ann 40 f "
" Harriet 13 f "
" Sarah 4 f Fla.
48 39 Knowles, James 35 m farmer $400 Bahamas
" Frances 35 f Keeping house "
" Mary 12 f "
" James 7 m Fla.
" Louisa 3 f "
" Margaret 2,1/2 f born in April "
As
with
much
of
the
Keys,
the
relatively
late
official
land
surveying
made
homesteading
and
patenting
of
land
title
impossible.
Charles
F.
Smith
and
crew
surveyed
Big
Pine
Key
for
the
state
of
Florida
on
March
21,
1873.
Of
those
listed
above,
William
Cates
homesteaded
115.4
acres
in
1883.
Other
homesteaders
with
the
same
surname
were
Sands
(William
Henry,
1905)
and
Knowles
(Henry
{1901}
and
John
T.
{1911})
State
records
show
there
were
19
homesteaders
of
federal
lands.
The
first
patented
land
deed
was
issued
to
William
F.
Wood
on
January
25,
1882
and
now
is
part
of
the
Key
Deer
Refuge.
William
Henry
Sands
was
a
Bahamian
shipbuilder
and
captain.
He
had
his
own
sawmill
and
used
local
pine
for
parts
of
his
boats.
Big
Pine
is
relatively
close
to
Key
West
so
there
was
a
nearby
market
for
goods
and
services.
Much
of
Big
Pine
was
still
available
for
homesteading
in
1900.
There
are
recorded
homesteads
on
Big
Pine
as
late
as
1926.
Usually,
this
type
of
unused
government
land
could
be
squatted-on
by
almost
anyone
in
those
days.
With
warm
climate
and
ground
water
available,
food
could
be
grown
for
family
sustenance.
Occupations
of
farming
and
seamen
were
popular
throughout
the
Keys,
but
charcoal
making
was
not.
Key
West
had
a
population
of
5,675
in
the
same
1870
census.
People
needed
to
cook
and
this
required
fuel
–
charcoal.
Big
Pine
was
the
last
Key
going
north
that
listed
a
charcoal
burner
or
woodcutter
in
1870.
A
note
on
the
beginning
of
land
ownership
on
Big
Pine
Key.
When
Florida
became
a
state
in
1845,
the
US
government
gave
Florida
land
for
its
use
such
as
schools
and
selling
to
residents.
From
1845
to
1915,
the
US
government
gave
Florida
3,208
acres
for
its
use.
Some
was
given
to
railroad
companies
to
build
railroad
on
the
mainland.
The
US
kept
2,608
acres
for
its
use,
one
being
homesteading.
By
the
end
of
the
aforementioned
1926
homestead,
here
is
the
tally
of
land
distribution:
State
sold
=
1,427
acres;
railroad
enticements
=
1,781;
and
homesteading
=
2,585
acres.
From
all
the
state
land
sold,
Florida
collected
$2,214.32.
Big
Pine
is
probably
appraised
at
over
one
billion
dollars
today.
Charcoal
making
was
labor
and
time
intensive
in
the
Keys.
Note
the
sole
inhabitant
of
Big
Pine
listed
in
the
1870
census
was
George
Wilson,
charcoal
burner.
Briefly,
the
process
was
wood,
usually
buttonwood,
being
cut,
hauled
and
stacked
in
a
pyramid,
or
tee-pee
fashion.
The
pile
was
covered
with
canvas,
seaweed,
sand
and/or
marl
to
contain
the
heat.
A
fire
was
started
in
the
bottom-center
and
the
burn
rate
controlled
by
small
openings
in
the
top,
or
sides,
plus
by
the
oxygen/air
intake
openings
at
the
bottom.
The
process
took
days
and
had
to
be
monitored,
or
the
fire
would
burn
the
wood,
or
go
out.
The
finished
product
was
bagged
and
shipped
to
Key
West.
Considerable
charcoal
was
made
on
Cape
Sable
also.
Ships
wrecked
off
shore
and
salvaging
was
an
early
occupation,
although
the
home
base
was
usually
Key
West.
One
may
choose
to
read
now
or
later
the
general
history
web
pages
in
this
web
site
of
farming
and
wrecking
in
the
Keys.
As
with
all
the
Keys,
the
coming
of
the
railroad
affected
Big
Pine,
but
not
to
the
extent
as
the
Keys
where
permanent
railroad
facilities
were
built.
For
one
reason,
there
was
not
the
population
on
Big
Pine
as
Key
Largo,
Matecumbe
and
Key
Vacca.
Henry
Flagler,
during
the
construction
phase,
built
a
fresh
water
resource
on
Big
Pine.
I
use
the
word
resource
as
it
was
not
the
typical
deep
well.
It
was
two
large
open
seepage
ditches/ponds
called
“collecting
ditches”
with
a
pump
and
a
100,000
gallon
storage
tank
(The
tank
was
large,
but
leaked
badly
over
60,000
gallons).
It
was
started
in
late
1906
and
placed
in
use
in
early
1907.
It
easily
pumped
50,000
gallons
a
day.
After
the
construction
of
the
railroad
was
completed,
the
facility
was
abandoned.
See
the
photo. 
There
is
little
press
about
this
operation
even
though
photos
exist.
In
fact,
Big
Pine
received
little
press
during
railroad
construction.
One
Florida
Times-Union
article
dated
April
11,
1907
was,
“The
extension
camp
at
Big
Pine
Key,
which
is
the
largest
now
in
operation,
will
be
broken
up
this
week
and
the
entire
force
of
nearly
400
men
will
be
moved
to
Sugarloaf
Key
where
a
new
camp
will
be
established.”
The
first
passenger
train
ran
to/from
Key
West
on
January
22,
1912.
No
other
significant
quantity
of
fresh
water
was
found
on
the
other
Keys,
except
at
Manatee
Creek
at
Cross
Key.
This
was
about
the
same
time
that
metal
windows
and
door
screens
began
to
become
common
in
the
Keys.
(Before
mosquito
control,
mosquitoes
had
a
limiting
effect
on
population.
The
lack
of
schools
was
also
a
population
factor.)
As
a
point
of
reference
in
1910
the
population
of
Big
Pine
was
17
and
No
Name
was
22.
John
T.
Knowles
was
Big
Pine’s
founding
postmaster
doing
so
on
9
February
1915.
Familiar
surnames
of
early
Big
Pine
residents,
such
as
Sands
and
Shanahan,
were
subsequent
postmasters.
There
is
little
doubt
that
some
viewed
Big
Pine
with
investment
potential.
From
1914
to
1925
there
were
10
subdivisions
filed
on
Big
Pine
property,
but
few
people
occupying
homes.
Silas
Knowles
filed
the
first
subdivision
in
1914.
William
H.
Sands
subdivided
his
1911
homestead
in
1922.
There
was
not
a
single
subdivision
platted
between
1925
and
1951,
but
this
was
a
similiar
pattern
in
other
Keys.
This
pattern
was
also
repeated
in
the
Upper
Keys
which
was
close
to
Miami.
Sands
also
worked
for
the
Ocean
Leather
Company
and
his
brother's
family,
Potts,
worked
as
the
company's
mechanic.
Mrs.
Potts
was
the
postmaster
1925
to
26.  The
Florida
Land
Boom
of
the
1920s
started
the
subdivision
process
and
its
burst
after
the
1929
stock
market
crash
with
the
resulting
depression
halted
most
development.
The
disastrous
hurricane
of
1926
halted
the
land
boom
for
most
of
southeast
Florida
as
Miami
was
so
damaged
it
could
not
supply
building
materials
other
than
for
its
own
reconstruction.
Big
Pine
almost
started
a
new
Keys
industry
in
1923.
Increased
uses
of
shark
oil
sparked
Hydenoil
Products
to
build
a
shark
oil
plant
on
the
shoreline
just
north
of
the
railroad.
The
plant
geared
up
and
employed
25
men
and
operated
6
fishing
boats.
By
1930
they
caught
and
processed
an
average
of
100
sharks
daily.
On
December
8,
one
of
its
seven
boats
brought
in
a
14
long
and
10
foot
in
girth
mackerel
shark
that
weighed
1,752
pounds.
That
day
the
fleet
brought
in
111
sharks
averaging
over
300
pounds
each.
Little
of
the
shark
was
wasted,
but
the
odor
was
quite
strong.
Shark
leathers
was
sold
by
the
Ocean
Leather
company.
The
livers
were
processed
for
oil
and
the
fins
sold
for
soup.
The
plant
closed
in
1931
after
eight
years
of
operation
owing
employees
back
paid
salaries.
WW-II
shut
off
the
US
supply
of
cod
liver
oil
and
shark
oil.
Plants
were
attempted
on
other
Keys,
but
they
too
were
short
lived.
The
opening
of
the
first
Overseas
Highway
in
1928
did
little
to
populate
Big
Pine.
The
ferry
landing
was
at
No
Name
Key
and
a
small
community
grew
there
under
the
management
of
Grace
and
Carlton
Craig,
brother
of
Roland
Craig
of
Craig
Key.
During
the
depression,
a
Civilian
Conservation
Corps
(CCC)
was
operated
on
Big
Pine.
A
small
airfield
was
also
constructed.
The
Second
Overseas
Highway
in
1938
followed
the
railroad
right
of
way
and
by-passed
No
Name
Key.
Sometime
along
this
period
the
Blue
Hole
on
Key
Deer
Boulevard
came
into
existence.
It
is
not
certain
that
this
oolite
quarry
was
for
the
first
highway,
other
roads,
or
just
what.
Its
location
is
not
particular
close
to
any
of
these.
The
author
is
almost
certain
that
it
was
not
for
the
railroad.
It
appears
to
be
the
only
Keys
fresh
water
hole
of
any
consequential
size
remaining.
It
is
host
to
a
multitude
of
freshwater
flora
and
fauna
from
alligators,
fish,
turtles
to
many
birds.
Education
on
Big
Pine
seems
to
have
always
been
problematic.
Monroe
County
has
always
required
at
least
10
students
for
a
school.
Given
the
tendency
for
the
early
Big
Pine
population
to
be
unstable
and
unpredictable
is
the
probable
cause.
The
first
record
requesting
a
school
was
by
E.
E.
Morris
dated
June
16,
1927.
The
School
Board
requested
the
superintendent
to
investigate
the
advisability
of
establishing
a
school.
A
report
dated
November
19,
1927
indicated
that
"there
are
now
six
children
in
two
families
and
probably
another
one
would
come
down
in
the
spring."
Action
was
deferred.
Please
remember
that
the
highway
from
Key
West
to
Big
Pine
was
completed
in
about
May
of
1927
even
though
the
ferry
boats
did
not
start
operation
until
1928.
At
the
November
25,
1927
School
Board
meeting
another
letter
from
Mr.
Morris
had
been
received
"stating
that
a
family
with
one
child
had
moved
to
Big
Pine
recently
and
one
was
expected
to
move
from
Miami
with
three
children.
Mr.
Morris
also
stated
that
a
building
owned
by
C.
C.
Johnson
could
be
secured
as
a
school
and
recommended
Mrs.
Hilda
Sands
as
a
teacher."
C.
C.
Johnson
was
probably
Copeland
Crizen
Johnson
who
owned
the
Gospel
Hall
on
Big
Pine.
The
February
9,
1928
School
Board  meeting
indicated
that
school
was
in
progress
with
Mrs.
Sands
as
the
teacher.
From
subsequent
board
minutes,
it
appears
that
school
was
on
and
off.
Transportation
became
a
problem
as
No
Name,
Ramrod
and
Sugarloaf
Keys
became
involved
and
required
buses.
Roads
were
poor
and
busing
expensive
for
two
to
four
children.
The
School
Board
eventually
ordered
the
school
closed
“…on
Wednesday,
March
1
[1933].”
School
did
continue,
but
only
after
a
struggle
which
continues
today
[January
2005].
Small
farming
and
fishing
establishments
continued.
Owners
and
operators
appeared
to
rotate
back
and
forth
to
Key
West
and
others
places.
Eventually,
many
found
their
way
back
to
Big
Pine. 
Until
destroyed
by
fire
on
December
18,
1977,
the
Big
Pine
Inn
was
a
familiar
landmark.
See
top
photo.
It
is
said
to
have
been
built
in
the
early
1900s
by
Mrs.
Gussie
Zeigner.
It
had
12
rooms,
dining
room
and
bar.
Rather
than
deter
guests,
prohibition
days
were
an
attraction.
There
never
seemed
to
be
a
shortage
of
“spirits.”
The
original
Big
Pine
Inn
survived
until
1946
to
be
reopened
in
1954.
A.
L.
Laughlin
purchased
it
for
$25,000
in
1954
and
did
extensive
remodeling.
The
Kyle
family
owned
the
the
Inn
for
some
time
before
selling
it
back
to
A.
L.
Laughlin.
The
TIB
Bank
of
the
Keys
building
stands
on
the
former
Big
Pine
Inn
site.
To
discuss
the
Big
Pine
Prison
camp
we
must
begin
with
the
Civilian  Conservation
Corps
on
West
Summerland
Key.
The
CCC
camp
was
established
in
the
late
1930
to
place
rip-rap
along
the
bridge
approaches
for
the
new
Overseas
Highway.
The
1935
Hurricane
destroyed
about
40
miles
of
the
Florida
East
Coast
Railway
and
the
decision
was
made
to
purchase
the
railroad
right-of-way
and
build
a
highway.
Previously,
vehicle
travel
was
by
ferry
boats
from
Lower
Matecumbe
Key
to
No
Name
Key.
The
complete
highway
was
completed
in
1938
and
the
need
for
the
CCC
work
crews
was
terminated.
In
1947,
the
Florida
State
Division
of
Corrections
procured
the
old
CCC
camp
as
prison
road
camp.
In
1950,
the
state
prison
moved
to
the
former
railroad
foreman's
section
house
area
on
Big
Pine
Key
where
it
has
remained.
Roy
Hazelwood
was
the
warden.
To
provide
additional
space,
a
CCC
barracks
was
moved
along
side
and
fenced
in
as
a
confine
for
prison
workers.
These
were
the
day
of
"chain
gangs'
working
"under
the
shotgun."
The
old
section
house
was
later
condemned
and
torn
down.
People
did
not
believe
in
renovation
and
preservation
of
cultural
resources.
It
was
thought
that
Big
Pine,
and
still
is
by
a
few,
would
resist
becoming
an
"asphalt
jungle,
but
the
1950s
signaled
a
change.
After
WW
II
the
American
public
was
ready
to
travel,
to
make
changes
and
to
seek
new
horizons.
The
gap
of
26
years
of
no
new
subdividing
was
bridged
when
Ed
Barry
subdivided
Punta
Brisa
in
1951
and
this
was
only
the
beginning.
Electricity
and
piped
drinking
water
followed
shortly.
This
appears
to
be
the
time
that
all
of
the
Keys
were
being
discovered
or
rediscovered.
A
census
taken
by
the
Chamber
of
Commerce
in
1966
revealed
a
year
round
population
of
181
and
a
winter
population
of
1,496.
The
new
development
further
threatened
the
almost
extinct
Key
deer.
It
was
estimated
in
1947
that
about
50
of
the
diminutive
deer
remained.
Another
report
in
the
Key
West
Citizen
in
1954,
stated
that
not
more
than
30
key
deer
were
in
existence
and
three
years
later
the
number
had
nearly
tripled.
In
1949
the
Everglades
National
Park
was
dedicated
by
President
Harry
Truman.
In
1954
a
U.S.
refuge
of
915
acres
of
leased
property
was
established.
This
was
followed
by
22
new
subdivisions,
and
followed
by
Congress
passing
bill
HR1058
in
1957
creating
a
National
Wildlife
Refuge
for
the
deer.
Jack
Watson
was
the
ranger
and
he
became
known
as
Mr.
Key
Deer.
Jack
Watson
had
moved
to
the
Keys
in
1946
as
an
agent
for
the
U.S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
in
Tavernier.
“No
Spearfishing”
signs
went
up
in
other
parts
of
the
Keys.
It
was
being
perceived
that
nothing
would
be
left
if
we
did
not
begin
conservation
measures.
Watson’s
Hammock
is
a
part
of
the
National
Key
Deer
Refuge.
The
name
came
from
Robert
B.
Watson
(Not
to
be
confused
with
Jack
Watson)
who
homesteaded
government
lots
3
and
4
of
section
9
in
1905.
The
story
is
best
told
by
daughter
Mispah
Watson
(Saunders)
as
appeared
in
the
Florida
Keys
magazine,
first
quarter,
1982.
Mrs.
Mizpah
Saunders
was
one
of
the
many
school
bus
drivers.
The
early
1950s
saw
development
resources
change.
In
April
1953,
54
customers
connected
to
public
electricity.
Public
potable
water
soon
followed.
In
1954,
the
tolls
were
removed
from
the
Overseas
Highway.
New
subdivisions
were
platted,
canals
were
dredged
and
rock
used
as
fill
for
houses
and
roads.
Business
was
good
and
the
Lower
Keys
Chamber
of
Commerce
established
its
office
on
Big
Pine
in
1959.
Big
Pine
was
becoming
self
supporting
with
its
own
stores
and
resources.
The
1960s
brought
Hurricane
Donna
and
later
many
new
businesses.
Development
throughout
the
Keys
also
increased
the
highway
traffic.
Big
Pine
had
four
new
subdivisions
and
an
assortment
of
service
providers
such
as
the
Big
Pine
True
Value
Building
Supply
in
1961.
1962
introduced
the
Baltimore
Oyster
House
followed
the
next
year
with
the
Big
Pine
Coffee
house.
Nurseries,
dive
shops,
trailer
parks,
and
other
businesses
with
a
new
post
office
closing
the
decade.
Highway
U.S.
1
continued
to
be
two
lanes
through
Big
Pine
and
this
stressed
everyone,
including
the
effect
on
the
Key
Deer.
The
1970s
saw
more
development
and
in
1972
a
moratorium
was
placed
on
all
dredging.
Most
development
in
the
Keys
involves
dredge
and
fill
operations.
The
moratorium
has
been
on
and
off
since.
The
speed
limit
was
reduced
to
45-MPH
during
the
day
and
35-MPH
at
night.
Development
continued
with
two
banks
and
a
saving
and
loan
company
closing
the
decade.
the
former
sleeping
giant
was
wide
awake.
Big
Pine
Key
had
an
industry
that
was
not
found
at
any
other
Key
-
glass
bottle
making.
Lester
Cunningham
operated
the
Big
Pine
Key
Bottle
Works
on
the
west
end
of
the
Key
in
the
1970s.
Glass
bottles
were
manufactured
for
other
Keys
and
embossed
for
the
specific
client,
but
to
my
knowledge,
Big
Pine
Key
has
the
record
in
this
case.
If
anyone
has
specific
knowledge
or
other
information,
please
contact
me
via
the
e-mail
tab
at
the
end.
For
more
info
on
bottles
found
in
the
Florida
Keys
CLICK
HERE.
The
state
of
Florida
made
the
next
major
move.
As
of
April
15,
1975,
Florida
ordered
the
Florida
Keys
to
be
an
Area
of
Critical
State
Concern
(ACSC).
This
basically
placed
all
development
under
the
final
approval
process
at
Tallahassee.
Land
Use
plans
and
Rate
of
Growth
Ordinances
were
developed
and
constantly
in
a
state
of
change
–
but
only
with
the
approval
of
Florida
State
government.
In
1999
it
was
announced
that
the
last
remaining
historic
structure
was
purchased  to
be
moved
to
Key
West.
These
were
the
Maggie
Atwell
house
and
the
F.E.C.
railroad
depot.
It
was
obvious
to
the
author
that
Big
Pine
Key,
like
most
other
Florida
Keys
other
than
Key
West,
have
no
sense
of
itself.
Too
many
transplants
whose
home
is
someplace
else.
Big
Pine
now
has
a
traffic
light
with
turn
lanes.
Highway
US
1
recently
was
elevated
and
under-highway
culverts
provided
for
the
Key
deer
to
cross
safely.
Time
moves
on.
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