Key West

KEY WEST (Span. Cayos huescos) — I One of the Florida Keys, 70 km (43.5 miles) from Cape Sable, population about 7 000. It is 12 km (7.5 miles) long and 2 to 4 km (1.2 to 2.5 miles) wide, and it rises little more than 4 m (13 ft) above sea level. Its formation is coralline; the shallow soil is made of crumbled coral mixed with some decomposed vegetable matter. No spring. A salt pond lies near the city. The air is pure and the climate is healthy. The thermometer seldom rises above 38° C (100° F) and doesn’t go down to freezing point. People speak Spanish or a dialect of that language.
— II City and naval station occupying about three-eighths of the island. It is the southernmost city of the United States, 645 km (400 miles) southeast of Tallahassee, and 165 km (102 miles) north-east of Havana, 24° 32′ north latitude and 83° 58′ west longitude, population about 5 000. Houses are small and nearly all of them are made of wood. Key West has a fine harbor, accessible through multiple channels to ships with a draft of 7 m (23 ft). As the key to the main entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, it is strongly fortified. Telegraph cables to Cuba and to the continent. Important Trade; turtle and sponge fishing.
 
Extract from the Trousset encyclopedia, 1886 – 1891.