Cudjoe Key

Earlier name:

Littleton Island

Scope Note:

 

Possibly named for the Joewood tree (Jacquinia keyensis Mez) a native species which is also known as cudjoewood. A more likely derivation for the name is offered by writer John Viele of Summerland Key. He believes that Cudjoe, which is a very common West African name, was the name of a runaway or freed black who lived on the island at some point prior to Gerdes' survey in 1849. On this key is the site of a U.S. Army missile tracking station built during the Cuban missile crisis In 1960.

Geographic Location:

 

U.S. Highway 1 crosses key at approximately mile markers 20.5--23, between Summerland Key and Sugarloaf Key.

References:

 

DeBrahm chart (1772) shows Littleton Island. Gerdes (1849) has Cudjoe's. The Bache Coast Survey of 1861 shows Cudjoe Key.

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Send your comments, suggestions, corrections to: Jim Clupper

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