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Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal

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Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal VOL. 22 NO. 2 WINTER 2011/12 USS SHARK OFFICIAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE KEY WEST MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY Richter Perky The Bats Didn’t Come to Sugarloaf By John Viele. Copyright 1993 This article appeared in the Island Navigator in 1993 Perky, a place that faded into obscurity over 50 years ago, still occasionally appears on maps of the Florida Keys. Located on Sugarloaf Key near the present-day site of the Sugarloaf Lodge resort, it was once the vacation retreat of the largest private land owner in the Florida Keys. It was also the scene of failed efforts to revive artificial-cultivation of sponges, to eradicate mosquitoes with bats, and to develop a luxury fishing resort. In the mid-1930s, Perky was the home of Fred Johnson who was the settlement’s postmaster, general superintendent, and sheriff. This is the story of Perky, the Johnson family, and life on Sugarloaf Key in the 1930s. In 1925, a wealthy Florida real estate salesman, Richter C. Perky, purchased the Chase brothers’ sponge-farming property eventually owned some 23,000 acres in the Keys, more than any other individual or company except Fred Johnson and the Bat Tower. Photo credit: Pat Parks. the Florida East Coast Railroad. his hand at artificial cultivation of of reaching it was by small boat Sugarloaf Key was to be a vacation sponges. or train from Miami or Key West. retreat from his home office in When Perky first acquired the However, construction of the first Miami. He also planned to try Sugarloaf property, the only means (Continued on page 3) SocietyNews by Tom Hambright The Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal is published quarterly. Subscription is available through membership. Copyright 2011 by the Key West Maritime Historical Society of the Florida Keys, Inc. The art on the masthead, the USS Shark, was drawn by Bill Muir. Editor: Tom Hambright Letters and articles are welcome. Please write to: Editor, Florida Keys Wiliam Hackley. Photo credit: Monroe County Library. Sea Heritage Journal, KWMHS, P.O. Box 695, Key West, FL 33041. William Hackley practiced law appointed arbitrators in the case in Key West from 1829 to 1857. He of the Brig Halcyon brought in Key West Maritime kept a diary for part of the time he an award of 56 1⁄2 per cent on the Historical Society was in Key West. For the last few gross amount of the brig and cargo. Board of Directors years the Journal has published Captain Pardon C. Greene the agent William R. Hackely’s Diary for for the brig would not accept it and President: the 1850s. Following is part of the they on a recommendation brought Vice President: John Jones Diary for 1830: in another award of 56 per cent Secretary: Corey Malcom on the brig and cargo, valued at Treasurer: Tom Hambright Tuesday, October 26, 1830. Rose $40,000 which when the duties paid about sunrise and read a portion on the residue of the cargo would of the “Acts of The Apostles” bring the owners in debt more Andrea Comstock Commenced reading a “Treatise on than $70,000 being in fact more George Craig the Law of Nisi Tuesday, October than 100 per cent on the vessel and J. Gregory Griffin 26, 1830. Rose about sunrise and cargo. The case is probably one of Bill Grosscup read a portion of the “Acts of The bribery for as to Van Evour, he has Mary Haffenreffer Apostles” Commenced reading never had any character since I have Sheri Lohr a “Treatise on the Law of Nisi known him and the wording of the Joan Langley Prius” by Anthony Hammond, award is sufficient to show what Julie McEnroe Esq., of the Inner Temple. Captain Bill Verge John Whalton and Ede Van Evour (Continued on page 6) John Viele New Members Gail C. Conway, Key West; Randall Rock Hill, South Carolina; Buck Hoffman, Key West; Paul Justin, Weaver, Swampscott, MA. 2 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - WINTER 2011/12 (Tower from page 1) and the mosquitoes remained. the peace freed the sponger and Many other projects were declared the 1929 legislative act to overseas highway from Miami to underway at what, in 1929, officially be unconstitutional. Key West had begun and, by 1927, became Perky, Florida with its own It was a difficult situation for its narrow roadway and wooden post office. Under Fred Johnson’s Fred. His wife and children still bridges had reached Sugarloaf supervision, a generating plant; two, lived in Key West and he came Key. Unfortunately for Perky, the 35-foot water towers; and a large down to be with them on weekends. road ran along the southern shore residence for Mr. Perky were built However, as Perky’s representative of Sugarloaf, three miles south of to provide all modern conveniences and enforcer of his sponge rights, his place. and accommodations. he was not well received by the In 1928, Perky hired Fred Much of the facilities and local spongers. Johnson of Key West to be caretaker equipment from the Chase brothers’ The following year, 1931, the and general superintendent of sponge-growing days remained, State’s Internal Improvement Board construction for his Sugarloaf and Perky was hopeful that he could canceled the lease which gave Perky property. This was the beginning succeed where they had failed. exclusive access to the sounds and a of a relationship between the two With his influence, he was able to judge dismissed Perky’s petition men which, over the next 12 years, get the Florida legislature to pass an to bar local spongers from using ripened into mutual respect and act granting him the same exclusive the sounds. Perky appealed the warm friendship. rights given the Chase brothers to decision to the State Supreme Work now began in earnest to grow and harvest sponges in the Court but three years passed create a private vacation and fishing Sugarloaf Sounds. before a ruling in his favor was retreat for Mr. Perky and his wealthy Fred Johnson began planting handed down. In the meantime, friends. One of Fred Johnson’s first sponges using the same methods sponge planting was halted and jobs was to clear a rough trail for as in the earlier effort. Natural never again resumed. Once again, automobile access to the overseas sponges were cut into small pieces no artificially-cultivated sponges highway on the southern shoreline. about the size of an egg, wired to were ever harvested, except by the Subsequently, Perky advanced concrete disks, and tossed into poachers. $15,000 to Monroe County to fill the shallow waters of the sounds. Even in the 1930s, Sugarloaf Key and grade the road which is today Fred soon discovered that the was an isolated, sparsely-populated called Sugarloaf Boulevard. railroad embankments had so place. Mr. Perky spent most of his The biggest drawback to Perky’s restricted water flow in and out of time at his home and office in Miami, vacation paradise was the mosquito the southern portion of the upper only coming to Sugarloaf for short population. Fred Johnson said it sound that it was devoid of marine periods of relaxation and fishing. was so bad at times that you could life and sponges would not grow The only year-round residents at rake the mosquitoes off your arms there. To correct the problem, Fred, Perky were Fred Johnson, until his in piles. with the aid of a dragline barge and family joined him in 1936, and a During trips to Texas in dynamite, dredged a canal from the black couple remembered as Jim connection with his oil well interests, sound out to open water. The same and Maggie. Perky heard of towers built to house canal is used today by boaters from The liveliest place on the Key bats which would devour all the Sugarloaf Shores to get to Hawk was Pirates Cove, a fishing resort mosquitoes in the surrounding area. Channel and the reef. on the eastern shore a short distance After investigating and becoming As in the Chase brothers days, south of the railroad bridge with convinced of the feasibility of the local spongers refused to recognize accommodations for 70 guests. idea, he directed Fred Johnson to anyone’s exclusive rights to sponge The only other residents of the build a bat tower at Sugarloaf. gathering in the Sugarloaf Sounds. island were the railroad section In five months, with three Signs were posted, intruders were foreman and his crew, one or two workers, Fred completed the 50- warned, and Fred Johnson was farmers, and a black man who made foot-high tower. He then installed appointed a deputy sheriff with charcoal. and activated the bait which was authority to arrest poachers...but During Fred’s first years at supposed to attract bats to the tower. still they came. In 1930, Fred Perky, his wife Mary, and the However, despite the awful stench finally arrested one and took him that arose from the bait, no bats came to Key West. There, a justice of (Continued on page 4) WINTER 2011/12 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - 3 (Tower from page 3) worked all day, to sit up and talk not stop for the mail transfer. An with him into the wee hours of ingenious method was used. children remained in Key West. the morning. But Fred did not The outgoing mail bag was Fred went home on weekends, but complain. He was a hard-working, suspended from an overhanging during school vacations his family totally-loyal employee even to the arm alongside the track.
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