Key West celebrates Over-Sea Railroad centennial
Flagler's Over-Sea Railroad celebrated in Key West
One hundred years after Henry Flagler's first Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad train steamed from mainland Florida to Key West, railroad centennial celebrations culminated with a parade through the island's Old Town.
Eighty-seven-year-old Key West resident Minnie Dameron rode on the Over-Sea Railroad as a child and joined a Flagler re-enactor to lead Sunday's parade.
Stretching more than 100 miles over open water, the railroad connected the previously isolated Keys with the mainland for the first time. Its completion has been called the most important event in Keys history.
Other celebrations included a Saturday night period gala ball at a Key West hotel Flagler conceived for the railroad's elite passengers.
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Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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