A 1,000 Year Old Tea Table!

It’s time once again for another Florida Key’s History lesson… so open up your books to page 24 and pay attention!

Tea Table Key Indians lived on this island over 1,000 years ago. In 1722, it was known as Boys Island better known today as Tea Table Key. In December 1838, Lt. Coste established a Naval Base here and named it Fort Paulding. This was the base where the West Indian Squadron use to blockade the coast to keep the Indians from receiving supplies from the Bahamas or Cuba. Did you know that the United State Navy’s FIRST steamship “The Sea Gull” was based here? True, that will be on tomorrows quiz.

While the Navy was looking for Indians in the Everglades one fateful day, the Indians attacked nearby Indian Key on August 7th, 1840 destroying the village which was then the county seat of Dade County. Can you imagine, the Dade County Courthouse was once right here in sight on the next island! Amazing isn’t it, the scope and amount of interesting little tidbits that can be learned on-line these days!

Scott, I see you in the back over there dozing off… do you want to go in timeout? That’s better, class is almost over. You can find this historical plaque at Mile Marker 79.8 on the left side of the road driving south on US-1.

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