Pigeon Key!

Henry Flagler was a wealthy oil tycoon who took an interest in developing resorts and railroads in southern Florida. He developed resorts in St Augustine, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Palm Beach, and also became known as the Father of Miami.

By 1904, his railroad had reached Homestead, south of Miami.

In 1905, when the US announced the building of the Panama Canal, Flagler immediately became interested in linking Key West to the mainland of southern Florida.

Key West was the closest deep water port to the Canal, and could take advantage of Cuban and Latin American trade, and would allow significant trade possibilities with the west.

In the photo above, Flagler’s overseas railroad is pictured on the right.

The bridge to the left is the newer auto bridge, built in the 1990’s. Both spans you see are the beginning of the “7 mile bridge” from Marathon to Little Duck Key in the lower keys. This 7 mile bridge is the longest overwater span of the overseas highway, which is 127.5 miles long, and links mainland Florida to Key West. 

Pat and I had rented bikes to get around on for a few days, so decided to ride out to Pigeon Key, across three miles of Flagler’s old railroad bridge which still connected Pigeon Key with Marathon.

Pigeon Key was one of many work camps for Flagler’s crews, who built the 127.5 mile overseas railroad to Key West.  

Pictured above is Pigeon Key as seen from the bridge. I would estimate this island to be about 30 acres. On it, 450 railroad workers and their families were housed, fed, and materials delivered and stored. As the railroad was built further westward, the trains would transport material and supplies from mainland southern Florida across the completed sections, to various work camps such as this. We were told that the employees all liked Flagler, and worked hard for him. The initial 7 year construction schedule was completed in just 4 years. As Flagler was aging, all of the employees wanted him to be able to ride the first train from southern Florida mainland to Key West. The work crews all united in this “marathon” 24 hour a day work schedule, and in 1912, Flagler rode the first train into Key West.

We were told that this is where the town of Marathon got its name. Marathon is actually on Vaca Key, just 3 miles east of Pigeon Key. 

Most of the original buildings remain, and have been restored. After construction was completed, the barracks were torn down, and better quarters erected for the painters, mechanics, and swing bridge tenders who remained.

The photo above was taken from Pigeon Key, looking up at Flagler’s railroad bridge, as it exists today.

The original bridge / overseas railroad was just the 8’ wide blue steel gussets with steel train tracks laid on top. The concrete road bed on top was added in the late 1930’s, after the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 washed out a 40 mile section of land based railroad bed at Islamorada. As the overseas railroad had never made a profit for Flagler, he sold the right of way to the State, and they turned it into an auto highway by adding the concrete road deck.

In the early 1990’s, an entire new bridge system was built alongside Flagler’s bridge.

Sections of Flagler’s original bridge are still used as bike ways and fishing piers.

Pigeon Key now operates as a non profit  marine educational center for young students in the 8th to 12th grades. They come from all over the country to participate.  

On our ride back, we saw Tow Boat US towing one boat in, and another it appears they did not get to in time.

That evening we biked over to the Sunset Grill for a Valentines dinner with our friends Marc & Michele from Marcs Ark, and another sunset! We never tire of the sunsets in paradise!

Tune in later, and Pat will tell you about our snorkel trip to Sombrero Reef, and our day in Key West.

Captn Ken