 Church (mile marker 105.5), across the tracks from the Key Largo railroad depot. Today the tracks
would have been where the southbound lane of U.S. 1 is now, and the depot in the median strip of Highway U.S. One.
The Sextons operated the hotel, store and post office, plus developed their land holdings. In addition, Charles offered land
clearing and dredging services. He used this equipment, when not working for others, to develop his "Venice of the Keys" that
later became known as Sexton Cove. This complex was advertised as the "Key Largo Plaza" in a 1926 issue of the Key Largo
Breeze. We actually possess the microfilm copies of the local newspaper which was published in Homestead.
The Shaw family, who worked for Charles Sexton, was an additional source of information. Clifford Shaw, on a 1993 trip to Key
Largo, verified the location of the depot at about mile marker 105.6. He produced family photographs of the depot, hotel, hotel
annex, store and homes. Additional telephone conversations with his older brother, Everett Jr. and younger sister, Francis,
establish a vivid picture of life in the early community of Key Largo. In fact Mrs. Shaw maintained a diary, the only written
documentation of life in Key Largo of the era.
From Clifford's pictures and memory, we get a better idea of 1926 Key Largo. The Sextons, Shaws and Prues had homes
between the hotel annex and Blackwater Sound. There was a road leading from the depot, past the hotel and homes, down to
the canals west of where Linda Drive is presently located. The Chapman lime packing house was north of the depot; Mr.
Chapman lived on the southside. Okie Hill, from Rock Harbor, operated the dredge for Charles Sexton, whose service was also
advertised in the Key Largo Breeze newspaper.
The history of the Card Sound road began in 1922 when Monroe County floated a $300,000 bond issue with an additional $2.5
million in 1926. Dade County cooperated and built a road from Florida City to a wooden Card Sound bridge. The project was
disrupted in late 1926 by a hurricane and the bridge had to be raised higher off the water.
Everett Shaw Sr. and Jr. worked for the Jenner Construction Company building the road from Card Sound bridge to Islamorada.
The building of a road from the mainland was important for Key Largo, as the Florida Land Boom was in progress and vehicle
access to land for sale was becoming critical.
The 1920s Florida land boom introduced Key Largo to land development. The North Carolina Fishing Village was the first
subdivision in 1923. Lots were laid out and pink sidewalks put in for Key Largo City Gardens (1925), just north of the train depot
and Garden Cove. Excursion trains were operated on weekends to bring potential customers to see this new development.
More subdivisions quickly followed to the south, such as the Angler's Park (1925), Angler's Shores (1925), Sunset Cove (1925),
Mandalay (1927), Seaside (1924-30), Tavernier Cove (1926) and Tavernier Heights (1926). By 1930 there were 26 subdivisions.
Very few actual houses were built. By the end of the 1970s there were about 123 subdivisions.
In the Upper Keys, the road was constructed by the Jenner Construction Company. The entire road was completed by 1928. The
wooden bridge was taken out in 1944 and not replaced until the 1960s.
A circa 1928 Florida Keys Upper Section brochure the following paid business advertisements in Key Largo: Doc. Knowlson's
Fishing Lodge, *Key Inn, Capt. J.S. Gerlock, John A. McRae - Realtor, Royal Palm Ice Co., Keys Supply Co. and the Key Largo
Store. *Below is an undated postcard of the Key Inn. I would have been a couple of miles north of the CR-905 and US-1
highways intersection on Key Largo. Ed and Fern Butters later sold the business and purchased the Matecumbe Hotel at
One of the historic homes is the European styled Largo Sound Rock Castle. It was a 1920s native coral rock home for New
Jersey dentist, Dr. George Engel. The walls are three feet thick at ground level and taper to 16 inches at the top. Upper Keys
county commissioner (1940-1942) T. Jenkins Curry had a small hou