View source for Key West

===20th century===
In October 1909, Key West was severely impacted by the [[1909 Florida Keys hurricane]]. Additional damage occurred the following year as a result of the [[1910 Cuba hurricane]]. At the time, the city remained relatively isolated until 1912, when it was connected to the Florida mainland through the [[Overseas Railroad]], an extension of [[Henry Flagler|Henry M. Flagler]]'s [[Florida East Coast Railway]]. As part of the project, Flagler constructed a landfill at [[Trumbo Point]] for railway operations. In 1919, the Florida Keys experienced another destructive storm, causing significant damage in the area. On December 25, 1921, local resident [[Lynching of Manuel Cabeza|Manuel Cabeza was lynched]] by members of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] for living with a Black woman.{{sfn|Newton|2016|p=64}} In 1926, [[Pan Am|Pan American Airlines]] was founded in Key West, initially to transport passengers to [[Havana|Havana, Cuba]]. The following year, the airline began a contract with the [[United States Postal Service]] to carry mail between Cuba and the United States, operating the ''Key West, Florida – Havana Mail Route''.

In 1935, the [[1935 Labor Day hurricane|Labor Day Hurricane]] destroyed much of the Overseas Railway and caused substantial loss of life, including approximately 400 [[World War I]] veterans who had been working on federal infrastructure projects in the Middle Keys. The Florida East Coast Railway was unable to fund repairs, and the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] later rebuilt the route as an automobile highway. Completed in 1938, this road was constructed atop sections of the former railway and became part of [[U.S. Route 1]], known as the [[Overseas Highway]]. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] visited the road in 1939. During [[World War II]], over 14,000 ships passed through the island's harbor. The local population increased significantly at times due to the presence of military personnel, laborers, and tourists.<ref>Gibson, A. H. (2012). American Gibraltar: Key West during World War II. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 90(4), 393–425. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23264714, pp. 396</ref> Beginning in 1946, President [[Harry S. Truman]] established a working vacation residence in Key West, known as the [[Harry S. Truman Little White House]], where he spent a total of 175 days during his presidency.
[[File:Irma_2017-09-10_1315Z.jpg|thumb|Hurricane Irma crosses over Key West in 2017]]
In 1948, Key West was affected by two hurricanes in quick succession—the [[September 1948 Florida hurricane]] and the [[1948 Miami hurricane]]. Prior to the [[Cuban Revolution]] of 1959, transportation between Key West and Havana included regular ferry and air services. During the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy frequently referenced Key West's proximity to Cuba in public speeches, and he visited the island shortly after the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]].

In 1982, the city briefly declared symbolic independence as the "[[Conch Republic]]" in response to a [[United States Border Patrol]] blockade at the junction of U.S. Route 1 and the mainland in [[Florida City, Florida|Florida City]]. The resulting traffic delays significantly disrupted tourism. The protest, while symbolic, remains a part of local culture, and the Conch Republic Independence Celebration is held annually on April 23.

In 1998, [[Hurricane Georges]] damaged the city.

In 2017, [[Hurricane Irma]] caused [[Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida#Florida Keys|substantial damage]] with wind and flooding, killing three people.