The Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in Florida. It caused catastrophic damage in the upper Florida Keys and completely obliterated the island of Islamorada. The Florida Keys Memorial would be created in the literal aftermath of this tragedy to honor the memories of those who perished. This memorial is a powerful reminder of what it can mean for a monument to honor the past while simultaneously creating purpose in the present and hope for the future.
A 40-Mile Path of Destruction
The 1935 Labor Day hurricane that hit the Florida Keys has been classified as one of the strongest to ever touchdown in the United States of America, leaving a 40-mile wide path of destruction in its wake. A large-scale evacuation was not possible due to infrastructure limitations of the time, which is part of the reason the mortality rate from the hurricane is estimated at nearly 500 deaths. The remains of well over 150 victims were never recovered, while about 200 WW I Vets that were working on a railway to connect the islands were killed.
The Florida Keys Memorial was dedicated just over two years later in 1937. Locally known as the “Hurricane Monument,” it stands just east of U.S. 1 at mile marker 82 in Islamorada, near where Islamorada’s post office once stood. Constructed using limestone from the Florida Keys by the Works Progress Administration, a frieze depicts palm trees bending under the force of the winds. Because the palm trees in the relief are bent toward the storm, it has also been referred to as “Wrong Way Hurricane Monument.”
In front of the sculpture is a ceramic-tile mural of the Keys that covers a stone crypt. This crypt holds victims’ ashes from the makeshift funeral pyres of the era. It contains the cremated remains of over 300 storm victims, none of whom are identified at the monument. This 22-foot long ceramic tile map as well as the markers located in various places across the memorial tell the story of the hurricane from the perspective of the people who lives through the event.
Added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1995, the monument is one of the few true landmarks within the Florida Keys. For many years it has been cared for by local veterans, hurricane survivors, and descendants of the victims. Additionally, local residents hold ceremonies at the monument every year on Labor Day and on Memorial Day to honor the veterans and the civilians who died in the hurricane.
Built to honor the lives lost in the hurricane, the Florida Keys Memorial has become so much more to residents and visitors, highlighting how such memorials can create engagement across communities and eras.
A Treasure of the Florida Keys
While some residents had concerns that a memorial dedicated to hurricane victims would serve as a constant reminder of the catastrophe, the Florida Keys Memorial has instead been able to cultivate a sense of connection and community for audiences of all types. Referred to as one of the treasures of the Florida Keys, the memorial is both a tribute and burial site that has become a true landmark for the region.
