A Resilient Town

It has always amazed me, when I see how some towns never seem to give up, even in the face of huge obstacles. I was in such a town this past week when I spent 3 days in Key West, FL (population 25,478), one of my 397 agurbs®. Key West has been clobbered numerous times by hurricanes, seen the collapse of whole industries and been through many boom and bust cycles. More on how they turned adversity into a branding for their town tomorrow.

The town’s early wealth was developed by the wrecking industry which developed in Key West because of its proximity to the 164 mile long barrier reef, third largest in the world, which snagged many passing ships and their cargoes. From 1830 to 1900 the town boasted of having more millionaires per capita and being the richest town in America. When buoyed shipping channels and light houses decimated that industry, the sponge industry flourished until red tide killed it. Similarly, the cigar manufacturing industry flourished in Key West, with 166 different manufacturers until a fire destroyed it, moving the industry to Tampa.

Last year’s Hurricane Wilma was the seventh hurricane in two years to touch the island. It destroyed 70% of the cars and damaged 50% of the houses on the six square mile island (1.5 x 4 mile).

But, other than a few blue tarps still on rooftops and the lack of big trees, you would hardly know that Key West had been decimated by a category five hurricane in October of last year. Some towns get kicked hard, but they just get back up and start to rebuild. Key West is such a town.