Historic Lighthouses of the Florida Keys - Paperback

by Laura Elizabeth Albritton (Author), Jerry Wilkinson (Author)

The Florida Keys possess a staggering wealth of lighthouses--nine in all, from the remote iron light at Fowey Rocks to classic brick structures at Key West and Loggerhead Key. In the 1820s, the US government began constructing lighthouses to aid mariners navigating the dangerous Florida Reef. While some of the original lights were subsequently destroyed in dramatic circumstances, most that followed, including Carysfort Reef, Alligator Reef, Sombrero Key, Sand Key, and American Shoal, survived intense tropical weather and even major hurricanes. Among the lighthouse keepers were remarkable women who succeeded in a profession usually reserved for men.

Author Biography

Fifth-generation Floridian Laura Albritton has authored four previous books, three with Jerry Wilkinson: Hidden History of the Florida Keys, Key West's Duval Street, and Marathon: The Middle Keys. She has written for the Miami Herald, Harvard Review, and the Florida Keys Weekly; she is also producing a documentary, Adventures in History, with Magic Kumquat Productions. Fourth-generation Floridian Jerry Wilkinson is longtime president of the Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys. His significant historical archive is housed within the Jerry Wilkinson Research Library at the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center. He created the website keyshistory.org and coauthored Key Largo and Islamorada.