The Wreckers Built Key West on Other People's Cargo

Key West was the richest city per capita in the 1850s. The source: wrecking. The Florida Reef runs parallel to the Keys, and before lighthouses and modern navigation, ships hit it constantly. First crew to reach the wreck got salvage rights. Profits were enormous — a single wreck could yield silks, furniture, machinery, wine worth more than most workers earned in a decade.

The Wreckers' Museum (Oldest House) at 322 Duval was the home of Captain Francis Watlington, built 1829, furnished with salvaged goods. The mahogany, the glass, the hardware — much of it came off the reef. The industry created Key West's character: cosmopolitan (cargo from everywhere), entrepreneurial (profits rewarded the fast), and slightly lawless (the line between salvage and luring ships onto the reef was blurry).

The wreckers built the mansions on Caroline Street, funded the churches, sent their children to the finest schools — all on maritime misfortune. The original Key West hustle. The island hasn't entirely lost the instinct.