THE NATURAL HISTORY ROOM
Hurricanes Case
1935 Labor Day Hurricane shelf.
Page 3
This page by Jerry Wilkinson
- Building FERA Veteran Camps -
The only FERA camp to have a harbor was Camp
3 on Lower Matecumbe Key. Water access was through the Channel 2 and Channel
5 bridges. All camps had railroad spurs although the later constructed
Camp 5 was primarily for personnel.
Shown above is construction material piled
along the highway for building FERA Camp 1 on Windley Key. FERA had leased
the Snake Creek Lodge as a hospital which was about a 1,000 feet away.
Camps 1 and 3 were probably started near the same time.
Meanwhile, after the harbor area had been dredged,
piles were driven for docks. This bridge was the first project and the
bridge was to go straight to Fiesta Key, which is a few thousand feet shorter
than following the railroad route via Craig Key.
Vets camp 3 continued to be expanded. Not only
did it house personnel, but there were also considerable equipment and
material to be stored.
A 1935 glimpse at a working camp on Lower Matecumbe
Key - Camp 3
Camp 3 is far into the background. Forms were
built around these piles and filled with concrete and blocks of coral from
Plantation Key. Seven piers (sometimes eight at low water) survived mother
nature and man, and are visible to the bayside at MM 73. Now for the Plantation
Key quarry.
Continued on Page 4
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