| When actual construction started on Henry Flagler's
railroad in 1905, the first order of business was the railbed
--clearing land and dredging fill on a 18-mile stretch between
the mainland and Jewfish Creek (leading into Key Largo.) Observing
a section of the eighteen-mile stretch from this height makes
it easy to picture the train running along the gently curved
track. After the train was destroyed in the Labor Day hurricane
of 1935, today's US1 was built on top of the railroad right-of-way
and opened in 1938. That marked the first time that Key Wester's
could get in a car and drive straight to the mainland without
having to interrupt their trip with several ferry crossings where
bridges hadn't heretofore existed. |
