Labor Day Service
2024-09-02 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mm 81.5
The Matecumbe Historical Trust will hold their annual Labor Day Service on Monday, September 2nd starting at 9am at the Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mile marker 81.5. Please join us in memory of the those who perished in the 1935 Hurricane and for the unveiling of the 1935 Hurricane Map.
The Hurricane Monument memorializes hundreds of American Veterans and local citizens who died in the Hurricane of September 2, 1935. After World War 1, the newly created Federal Emergency Relief Administration offered the unemployed veterans’ jobs. Over 600 of these men came to the Florida Keys to help complete U.S. Highway One.
Each year the Matecumbe Historical Trust holds a service to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. The service will include the introduction, Invocation, Presentation of Colors, National Anthem, guest speakers, history of the hurricane, the laying of the memorial wreath, Taps, Patriotic songs, the Benediction, and the unveiling of the Hurricane Map. The Wreath is sponsored by Centennial Bank. For more information, please call Barbara at 305-393-0940.

Florida Keys Archaeology & History Presentation
2024-10-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
Matecumbe Historical Trust to celebrate International Archaeology Day
The Matecumbe Historical Trust hosts this month’s presentation on Tuesday, October 15th, at the Islamorada Public Library, mile marker 81.5 at 6:30 p.m. A presentation by the late Irving Eyster will show some of the most unusual and fascinating items ever found on our islands to celebrate Internation Archaeology Day. Eyster, was a well-known historian and archaeologist, and had been collecting items and preserving them for future generations for more than 60 years.
This presentation will include items from the early Indians, shipwrecks, Flagler’s Railway, Indian Key, lighthouses, maps, documents, and rare items.
The Florida Keys has a vast history that needs to be preserved and shared. We invite you to join us.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 305-393-0940 or visit MatecumbeHistoricalTrust.org

Lignumvitae, Indian Key, Windley Key, San Pedro Underwater Preserve State Parks
2024-11-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
Presentation by quest speaker Lu Dodson, park Manager for Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Indian Key Historical State Park, Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, the San Pedro Underwater Archeological Preserve State Park, and the Florida Keys Oversea Heritage Trail.
She will cover the fascinating progressive history of the islands and the San Pedro, how they are all inter-related and the status of park projects and events. She will also show a short video produced by the Park Service highlighting the unique features of each park, upcoming events in all the parks and the varies volunteer opportunities.
Free and open to the public. Call 305-393-0940 for more information.

Submerged cemetery at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas
2025-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
Presentation is free and open to the public.
Our guest speaker will be Joshua Marano, an archaeologist with South Florida National Parks.
The recent discovery of the archeological remains of a now submerged yellow fever hospital and post cemetery at Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park led to a myriad of interesting research questions and management challenges. Additionally, park staff have worked to document, transcribe, and interpret the stories of more than 200 men, women, and children who died at Fort Jefferson and to make meaningful connections with current generations, utilizing genealogical research to identify possible descendants. Management efforts have also focused on the development of partnerships with the U.S. Army to develop means to document, interpret, protect, and memorialize those who perished at Fort Jefferson.
Joshua Marano is currently a maritime archaeologist for Biscayne, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks working in various capacities since 2012. He is a graduate of East Carolina University’s program in Maritime Studies and earned an MA degree in maritime history and nautical archaeology. He has participated in several major maritime projects including digital recording of the Swedish warship Vasa in Stockholm, Sweden, the excavation of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck and the documentation of the British warship HMS Fowey in the Florida Keys, as well as a number of projects throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. Mr. Marano is an active member of the US Coast Guard where he serves as a Chief Petty Officer at USCG Station Fort Lauderdale, FL
For more information, please visit MatecumbeHistoricalTrust.org or call 305-393-0940.

The Old Florida Keys in 3D
2025-03-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
The Matecumbe Historical Trust and the Islamorada Public Library will host our next free lecture in the Islamorada Public Library on Tuesday, March 11th starting at 6 pm.
Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian for the Florida Keys History Center, will present “The Old Florida Keys in 3D.” This presentation will explore the art of stereophotography as practiced in the Florida Keys over the past 160 years, and he will explain the history and technology behind the technique. Using special software, Malcom has converted the FKHC’s collection of 19th and 20th century Keys stereo photographs to an audience-friendly format, and they will be shown in all their 3D glory! 3D glasses will be provided.
The Florida Keys History Center is a division of the Monroe County Library System tasked with the following mission: “To explore, preserve, promote, and make accessible the history of Monroe County, Florida.”
The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit MatecumbeHistoricalTrust.org or call 305-393-0940.

"Who Made The Everglades"
2025-04-08 18:00 - 19:00
Our guest speaker is Sara Ayers-Rigsby, Director of the Southeast/Southwest Regions of the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Florida Atlantic University Anthropology Department.
Her subject will be “Who Made the Everglades?”
In this talk we will learn about the science of archaeology, and the identification of major archaeological sites in South Florida. This talk will explore the geological and cultural history of the Everglades. In particular, we will look at the role of early Native Americans and initial tree island formations, and how we continue to impact the Everglades today. The program is Free and open to the public. For more information please call 305-393-0940.

Memorial Day Service
2025-05-26 09:00 - 10:00 | Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mm 81.5
The Matecumbe Historical Trust will hold their annual Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 26th at the Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mile marker 81.5 starting at 9:00 AM.
The ceremony will include an introduction, the Invocation, Presentation of Colors, the Pledge, National Anthem, guest speakers, the laying of the Memorial Wreath, Taps, and patriotic songs followed by the benediction.
Residents and visitors are welcome to attend in observance of Memorial Day. For additional information, please contact Barbara at 305-393-0940. The wreath is sponsored by Centennial Bank

“Through the eyes of a Spiny Lobster”
2025-07-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
Lindsey Crews will present “Through the eyes of a Spiny Lobster”. Free presentation will be held at the Islamorada Public Library located at 81830 Overseas Highway on Tuesday, July 15th starting at 6 pm.
In this presentation, we will explore the life of a Florida Spiny Lobster, from its larval stage in the open ocean currents to the ecosystems of the Florida Keys. We will dive into how they survive within the mangroves, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and their cultural and economic importance to the area. We will also highlight resources on where to find information about the upcoming lobster season including rules and regulations.
Lindsey joined the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 2021 as a science and outreach coordinator, sharing her love of science and the environment with locals and visitors. The southeastern Virginia native was inspired into the marine biology field by educational programs around Chesapeake Bay. Crews holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology and a master’s degree in environmental education and interpretation from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She previously served as an educator for the North Carolina Aquariums and as park ranger at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.
For more information call 305-393-0940.

Keys Worst Hurricanes
2025-08-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Islamorada Public Library, 81830 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, 33936, United States
The Matecumbe Historical Trust next free presentation will be held on Tuesday, August 12th at 6:00 pm in the Islamorada Public Library located at mm 81.5. The presentation “Keys Worst Hurricanes” is from the Irving R Eyster collection and will show several of our local Hurricanes starting with the 1733 Spanish Treasure Fleet, leading up to the 1935 Hurricane, Hurricane Donna in 1960 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. These were some of the most destructive hurricanes in Florida Keys history with the 1935 Hurricane being the strongest storm of the century.
The Presentation is free and open to the public. For more information call 305-393-0940.

Labor Day Service - 90th Anniversary of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane
2025-09-01 09:00 - 10:00 | Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mm 81.5
The Matecumbe Historical Trust will hold their annual Labor Day Service on Monday, September 1st starting at 9am at the Islamorada Hurricane Monument, mile marker 81.5. Please join us in memory of those who perished 90 years ago in the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane.
The Hurricane Monument memorializes hundreds of local citizens and American Veterans who perished in the two hundred mile an hour winds and 17-foot storm surge. After World War 1, over 600 veterans came to the Florida Keys to help complete U.S. Highway One, along with other projects. The storm hit resulting in the death of almost five hundred people, many who lived here along with the veterans who were not removed and should have been.
Each year the Matecumbe Historical Trust holds a service to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. On the 75th anniversary of the storm, the Matecumbe Historical Trust hosted the first survivor’s reunion with seven of the survivors telling what they went through the night of the hurricane. We will retell parts of what they said. There are only two survivors left.
The service will include the introduction, Invocation, Presentation of Colors, National Anthem, guest speakers, history of the hurricane, the laying of the memorial wreath, Taps, Patriotic songs, and the Benediction. For more information, please call 305-393-0940.
