Key West The Newspaper

The Key West City Commission this week paid tribute to one of the Keys’ biggest treasures — County Historian Tom Hambright — by proclaiming January 5th as Tom Hambright Day.

Hambright has worked for the Monroe County Library in Key West for the past 30 years. During that time, Tom has given presentations on Keys history to most of the nonprofit organizations in the county, from Key Largo to Key West. He has worked with authors, students, journalists, film producers, and scholars, sharing his wealth of knowledge. He assisted in the planning for and construction of a new wing for the Florida History collection that he helped develop and now oversees.

Before joining the library staff, Tom served 21 years with the Navy, retiring as Lieutenant Commander. Following that retirement, he worked as Curator for the Lighthouse Museum and East Martello for three years. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Old Island Restoration Foundation, the Salvation Army, and the Key West Art and Historical Society. He has also served on the board of the Key West Maritime Historical Society and has published articles in the Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal and The Florida Genealogist. He has produced the daily column “Today in Keys History” for the Key West Citizen with his wife, Lynda for many years.

During the past ten years, Hambright has ensured improved access to our local history by contributing more than 18,000 images with descriptions to the Web. But with all of these accomplishments, Hambright is probably best loved in the community for his accessibility and his encyclopedic knowledge of local history and lore.

“Although the Florida History archival collection has grown to be an extensive collection of unique materials, Tom’s own memory is the real treasure of the collection,” stated Mayor Craig Cates in the proclamation. “Tom Hambright is an extraordinary ambassador for Monroe County, and the City of Key West, and a historic treasure to the community.”

The always humble historian thanked the commission for the honor. “In particular,” he said, “I would like to thank the unique Florida Keys and Key West for having such a great history that gave me this job.”