MIAMI.- The Florida Keys celebrated its bicentennial of establishment as Monroe County with a key lime pie more than 13 feet (4 meters) in diameter, which organizers are seeking to certify as a world record.
In addition to the cake, the Florida county celebrates a series of activities to celebrate the anniversary of the establishment of Monroe County by the Florida Territorial Legislature on July 3, 1823.
The name Monroe comes from James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, who ruled the country from 1817 to 1825.
In the 1830s, the Florida Keys north of Bahia Honda Key were part of Dade County, which was later renamed Miami-Dade County in 1997.
This peculiar Florida enclave, which has dozens of fishing villages and denotes about 83,000 inhabitants, now encompasses all of the Florida Keys and a part of Everglades National Park.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Key West remained in Union hands as a naval base for Confederate shipping. In the late 1890s, millionaire Henry Flagler spearheaded the construction of the railroad that linked the north of the country with the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and its keys.
It was in Key West that President Harry Truman ruled the country for almost six months. There remains the Little White House, which is now Florida’s only presidential museum.
Key West was also witness to the Cuban independence campaign with the presence of the Cuban hero José Martí and the residence of greats such as the writer Ernest Hemingway.
He Key lime pie, which originated in the late 1800s in Key West, is part of the cultural heritage of the small island that is located in the southern tip of the United States. In 2006, Key Lime Pie was designated Florida’s official dessert by the state legislature.
The creamy dessert, which was prepared by area cooks, featured a topping of whipped cream and the juice of several thousand limes.
Meanwhile, bars and restaurants throughout the Keys continue to celebrate the date this week.
FUENTE: With information from AP and Monroe County Library
