$2 Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal VOL. 21 NO. 1 FALL 2010 USS SHARK OFFICIAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE KEY WEST MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Lakes Passage Stilt Houses, Fishing Shacks, and Shelters By J. Gregory Griffin Copyright 2010 President Theodore Roosevelt established The Key West National Wildlife Refuge in 1908 as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds and other wildlife. This preserve was one of the earliest Federal refuges in the United States and is located in the Gulf of Mexico beginning a few miles west of Key West. The refuge encompasses more than 200,000 acres with only 2,000 acres of land. The area is home to more than 250 species of birds and is important for sea turtle nesting. The islands are predominately mangrove with a few beaches and salt ponds. The Lakes Passage region is part of the Refuge. The first stilt houses were built in the early 1960’s approximately seven miles west of Key West in The Nora and John Koenig Stilt House off Man Key. Photo credit: Koenig Family. the Gulf of Mexico in the shallow waters of a portion of the Refuge others were scattered throughout. sea water in the navigable areas is known to Key Westers as the Lakes This tranquil region is protected by five feet. Extensive local knowledge Passage, or simply the Lakes. There Man, Woman, Crawfish and Ballast is required to safely make way in were seventeen stilt houses in total, Keys on the south, and the shoals this pristine preserve as the salt and seven were situated in the Boca and rock jetties of the Northwest water can shallow-up very quickly Grande section (also known as Channel to the north. The waters on the sides of the winding natural Bo’ Grande) of the Lakes. Three in the Lakes area are relatively channels. existed off Ballast Key, and four calm save during the most violent were built around Man Key. The storms. The average depth of the (Continued on page 3) SOCIETY NEWS AND NOTES by Tom Hambright The Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal is published quarterly. Subscription is available through membership. Copyright 2010 by the Key West Maritime Historical Society of the Florida Keys, Inc. A stilt house near Boca Grande. Photo credit: Dale McDonald Collection The art on the masthead, the USS Monroe County Public Library. Shark, was drawn by Bill Muir. When we started the Florida Keys used by commercial fisherman to Sea Heritage Journal 20+ years ago stay near the fishing grounds. They Editor: Tom Hambright we wanted a platform to record also built some platforms for lobster Florida Keys History patricianly and crab traps. the stories that been forgotten or We found while doing this story Letters and articles are welcome. never told. As part of the mission that there is very few photographs Please write to: Editor, Florida Keys we have tried record recent history of the houses. The Koenig family Sea Heritage Journal, KWMHS, P.O. before it fads from memory. The had a few their house and the Dale Box 695, Key West, FL 33041. story of the shacks in the lakes to McDonnell collection at the Library the west of Key West is such a story. had some. So if you have any Key West Maritime They played an important part in Historical Society photographs on the community of Board of Directors maritime history, boating history houses in the lakes or any other you and the social life the Keys of the would like to share bring them by President: Edward J.Little,Jr. 1960s and 70s. They were a social the library I can scan them and give Vice President: Bill Verge center particularly on the weekends you the originals back and we will Secretary: Corey Malcom and holidays. It was common for have a permanent record of what it Treasurer: Tom Hambright guest to spend the weekend cook used to be like in the good old days. dinner of fresh seafood. Also the The Library Collection is nearly boating community would often 200,000 photos and we have over Andrea Comstock stop by to socialize and maybe 8,000 on web site. The staff and George Craig share a cold refreshment. The one volunteers are working to expand Bill Grosscup house I remember visiting was the on-line collection but it takes Tom Hambright the one owned by Mr. Ramos. At about 15 minutes of work to scan, Mary Haffenreffer the time he owned the Budweiser add description, clean up the photo John Jones distributorship for the Keys and his and upload. In September we added Sheri Lohr sales person often used the shack about 800 photos of the railroad. Joan Langley on the weekend. And they always So keep checking the site to see Julie McEnroe had a supply of the material they what’s new. Make sure you have Bill Verge sold during the week. Some of the Keyslibraries.org as one of you houses near Boca Grande were favorites. New Member Gary Walmer, Key Largo. 2 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - FALL 2010 Captain Chet Alexander’s Marine Salvage crew installing the pilings for the Koenig stilt house. Photo credit: Koenig Family. (Stilt houses from page 1) by a tugboat, would sail on the windows were then added as well south side of the Keys around as a second similar story but with Many stilt houses were solidly Boca Grande where it would enter railings around an outer walkway. constructed using thick wharf the Lakes area. The soft bottom Other structures in the area were timbers, or telephone poles, driven provided a suitable foundation for not as elaborately constructed and into the sandy sea bed by pile drivers pile driving. Workers attached solid were made from salvaged building rolled onto barges and later brought decking about four feet above mean materials and plywood cobbled to the Lakes by Chet Alexander, high tide levels creating a first level together from construction areas a famous wrecker, and salvor in to which an owner may moor his in Key West. Some of the owners Key West. After leaving Key West, boat and jump to the stability of or Stock Island, the barge, pushed the first floor. Walls, doors and (Continued on page 4) FALL 2010 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - 3 (Stilt house from page 3) pounded thin pilings into the seabed with heavy sledge hammers in order to establish a somewhat secure base for their over-the-water shanties. These humble structures were known as “fishing shacks.” There were some simple structures erected on the land at Boca Grande. In the early 1950’s, the Key West Outboard Club, a powerboat racing organization, disassembled a derelict plumbing shack at Sigsby Park, loaded the pieces on boats, and motored them to the west side of Boca Grande where they reassembled the parts into a twelve foot by twenty foot shack placed on the up shore area facing the Marquesas. There were military style bunk beds within the shack together with a pizza cooker. There, the members enjoyed cooking enchilado (enchilao) and many other Conch style meals. House under construction. Photo credit: Koeing Family. Later, the Key West Power Squadron constructed and these weekend retreats during maintained several shelters directly and their guests bring a covered dish, but suggested that all cold drinks a period when the Key West on the land of that Key (one on Mud National Wildlife Refuge was both would be available. The Power Key, as well) in the late 1950’s. underfunded and under staffed by Squadron announced a Dutch treat The first shelter was replaced Congress. The Lakes area was not rendezvous for July 3 and 4, 1960 at after a water spout picked up the patrolled by the authorities and it their pavilion on Boca Grande Key. building about ten feet in the air appeared to the individuals in Key The members erected additions with picnickers in it. The building West to be an open, uncontrolled materials were strewn over the on the building to accommodate territory for anyone’s use and island with no one hurt. The the large crowd expected for the enjoyment. Initially, locals erected members erected another shelter event. Nelson Davenport donated these buildings without a thought of setting telephone poles in cement a “Jungle Jim” for the kiddies. intervention by the Federal or State blocks in the ground and using The organizers scheduled a cruise authorities. sheet metal for a roof. Vandals often through the Marquesas Lakes as The owners, and their friends and caused great damage by hacking one of the events during the outing. families, used and enjoyed these out and removing any wood from Lobstermen, crabbers, and weekend havens in many ways; as these structures for campfires. This commercial fishermen built a half way point for next-morning boating social group conducted plywood shacks on the land at Boca fishing in the Marquesas Keys, as a festive outings during the spring Grande, together with makeshift stable fishing platform, as a summer and summer months under this piers running from the land into residence, as a party location, and shelter. They would gather at 9 the water so they could tie up as a romantic honeymoon get-a- a.m. on the boat ramp on Simonton their boats and load and unload way. The locals would catch fresh Street in Key West, Gulf Side. The their catch, traps, and equipment. fish and lobster, and cook a stew organizers requested the members The proprietors constructed or chowder on the premises. Some 4 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - FALL 2010 Dinner with friends.