The drive down The Keys for the first time is mesmerizing. True Beauty seeing our great waters and bridge. Thinking to yourself "I know I want to buy my own piece of Florida Keys Real Estate but which Island do I want to buy on. That is a decision only you can make. There are a lot of Keys (Islands) and each one has something special to offer. Decide what features are important to you and let's shop Florida Keys homes for sale. Start with that beautiful drive down and go from there. Do you know the history of US Highway 1 in the Keys?
Attributing to the movement that drove Ernest Hemingway from
the Florida paradise was the development of what is now known as U.S. Highway
1.
Back when Ernest Hemingway would sit quietly in the serenity of his Key West home, penning A Farewell to Arms and Death in the Afternoon, the town at the southernmost point of the United States was a sanctuary for those looking to escape the real world. But as the 1930’s came to a close, the town had become too “touristy” for Hemingway. As a result, he opted to travel overseas, leaving what was becoming a busy vacation spot at bay.
Attributing to the movement that drove Hemingway from the Florida
paradise was the development of what is now known as US Highway 1. Before
the existence of the highway, the only means to reach Key West was by boat or
by rail, the latter which only ran one round-trip per day. Today, several
million travelers make
the trip every year.
Let’s take a look at how the highway came to be, from its
beginning to today, and how it has impacted the sleepy little town at America’s
southern tip.
The Overseas Highway - 113 Miles Of Road Over The Ocean
The southernmost leg of U.S. 1 follows the trail that was originally blazed in 1912 by Henry Flager, when he extended his Florida East Coast Railroad from Miami to Key West. Due to extensive damage from severe winds and erosion, coupled with the economic decline caused by the Depression era, the operation of the railroad ceased in 1935.
The construction of the Overseas Highway, as it was called, was a major engineering feat. The road covers a total of 113 miles and consists of 42 overseas bridges, leapfrogging from key to key with a series of arches that consist of steel and concrete.
Beginning in the late 1930s, the highway was built utilizing foundations of some of the original spans from the railroad, as well as the coral bedrock of individual keys using specially constructed columns to shore up the foundations. The highway was opened to traffic in 1938, and was completed in 1942, marking the beginning of the eventual tourist boom that would result from the American motorist being able to make the drive to Key West.
Now you know more about the beautiful drive you take when driving down the Florida Keys. It's more than just a bunch of bridges just like the Florida Keys homes for sale we look at are more than homes. One of them will be your future piece of Paradise. Choose wisely and let me help you.
Gary
