Spanish Harbor Key facts for kids
 Spanish Harbor Key
Location in Florida
Spanish Harbor Key
Location in Caribbean
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 24°39′07″N 81°18′25″W / 24.652°N 81.307°W |
| Archipelago | Florida Keys |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Florida Straits |
| Administration | |
| State | Florida |
| County | Monroe |
Spanish Harbor Key is a small island located in the lower part of the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are a chain of islands off the southern coast of Florida, United States. This island is known for its interesting history and unique features.
Exploring Spanish Harbor Key
Spanish Harbor Key is crossed by U.S. 1, also known as the Overseas Highway. This famous highway connects many of the Florida Keys. You can find Spanish Harbor Key around mile markers 35–36 on this road. It sits between two other keys: Bahia Honda Key and West Summerland Key.
How the Island Was Formed
Originally, this area was made up of three separate islands. These islands were called West Summerland Key, Middle Summerland Key, and an unnamed key to the east. When the Overseas Railroad was built, these three keys were connected together. Workers used "fills" (added land) to join them.
Today, only West Summerland Key still uses its original name. The other two parts are now simply known as the Spanish Harbor Keys. They got this name from a special place called an anchorage. An anchorage is a safe spot for boats to drop anchor. This particular anchorage is located between Spanish Harbor Key and a larger island called Big Pine Key.
Historical Sights on the Key
Spanish Harbor Key has some cool historical features. You can find ancient Indian mounds here. These mounds are old structures built by Native American people long ago. They give us clues about the history of the area.
There are also storage buildings still standing from the time the Flagler Railway was built. This railway, also known as the Overseas Railroad, was a huge project. It connected the Florida Keys to the mainland in the early 1900s. These old buildings remind us of the hard work that went into building this amazing railway.
