Virginia Key

Earlier name:

Cayo de Ratones

Scope Note:

 

Apparently Virginia Key was part of the Miami Beach sand barrier until sometime shortly before 1849, when Gerdes, In his "Reconnaissance of the Florida Reefs and all the Keys," wrote: "The island above Key Biscayne has no name, used to belong to the Mainland, but the Narrows Cut (modern Norris Cut) broke through about 10 or 12 years ago." There may have been other, earlier, natural cuts which isolated the lower portions of Miami Beach into an island. William Roberts. in his First Discovery and Natural History of Florida (1763) States: "To the north hereof (Cayo de Biscayno) lies the small island of Cayo Ratones, about four miles in length, on which there is an Indian town, called Pueblo Ratones, which is the only settlement of Indians that we have any account of on the Martyres." Virginia Key, a part of the causeway to Key Biscayne, is the site of a large municipal wastewater treatment plant. Prior to the outlawing of racially segregated public facilities in the 1960's, Virginia Key was the site of Miami's black bathing beach.

Geographic Location:

 

The uppermost Florida key, lying between the northern tip of Key Biscayne and the southernmost point of Miami Beach.

References:

 

William Roberts. in his "First Discovery and Natural History of Florida" (1763) States: "To the north hereof (Cayo de Biscayno) lies the small island of Cayo Ratones, about four miles in length..." In his journal for 1848-49, Gerdes suggests the name Virginia Key.

---

Send your comments, suggestions, corrections to: Jim Clupper

---