The one place both Tom and I remembered from our first trip was the Aquarium. It has changed a lot, there are a string of "tourist" shops around it now and it is the starting point for all the trolleys.
The aquarium was part of a Great Depression project to provide local jobs and bring in tourist. The concrete that was used to from the structure and holding tanks was mixed with sea water since fresh water was hard to come by in those days.
One of the purposes of the Aquarium was to create a clearing market for other aquariums across the country for reef fish. Only seven months after opening in 1935 the keys were struck by a devastating hurricane and it destroyed the Overseas Railroad and the tourist industry. The only way to get to the keys was by boat.
In 1943 the US Government leased the Aquarium to the Navy, Marine, Corps and Coast Guard to use as an indoor rifle range ( who would think of such a thing) All the exhibits were torn out to make a level surface. In 1946 the Aquarium was returned to the city of Key West and restored.
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