- Lignumvitae Key
Lignumvitae Key is an island in the upper
Florida Keys .It is located due north of, and less than one mile from the easternmost tip of
Lower Matecumbe Key .The island has the Keys' highest point above sea level of convert|19|ft|m, [ [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=16832 peakbagger.com - Lignumvitae Key High Point] ] which beats the island of
Key West 'sSolares Hill by convert|1|ft|m. The dark green island is covered with rare tropical hardwood (Lignum vitae ) trees.History
Records of the ownership of Lignumvitae Key go back to 1843, including the years of 1919-1953 when the Matheson family of
Miami owned the island. The island was purchased by Dr. Edwin C. Lunsford, Sr. and two other investors in 1953. Charlotte and Russell Neidhauk lived on the island and served as caretakers during this period. The coral bedrock house they lived in still stands today. On March 2, 1971 Lignum Vitae and nearby Shell Keys were purchased by the State of Florida, and Lignum Vitae becameLignumvitae Key State Botanical Park .The key is called Cayo de la Leña (Spanish for "Firewood Key") on an unsigned Spanish chart of 1760.
References
External links
* [http://keyshistory.org/lvk.html History of the Key]
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