Under Construction. The Seven Mile Bridge. Florida Keys

Courtesy of the Monroe County Library:

Snagged this from Facebook this morning from the Historic Florida VII! page there. Here is a comment by Seth Bramson, official historian of the Florida East Coast Railway that clarifies what we see in this picture. Mr. Bramson was a two time guest on High Noon in Lake Worth.

"To be a bit more specific, the original “Seven Mile Bridge,” which only gained that name with the coming of the Oversea(s) Highway is NOT what is shown here. These are the cofferdams for the supports for the Knight’s Key Viaduct or Pacet Channel Viaduct. Remember, the bridge was called Knight’s Key Viaduct and had two other named sections when built by the FEC. That adding of the “s” when it became the highway was ridiculous. It was the “Over-the-sea” or Oversea Railway, NOT “overseas.” It didn’t go overseas. It went over the sea to Key West, and, yes, there is a difference."

And...

 "The title of the ONLY complete history of the Key West Extension ever written is THE GREATEST RAILROAD STORY EVER TOLD: Henry Flagler and the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. There have been books written on the construction and on the ’35 hurricane, and even a novel, but that is the only complete history ever written. (The History Press, 2011) Mr. Flagler spent $50 million (not $20 or $30 or any of the other numbers shown, but $50 million) building it. The largest collection of Key West Extension memorabilia that exists is in Miami at The Bramson Archive. Monroe County Public Library in Key West has a nice collection and there are several very good collections in private hands but the collection at The Bramson Archive is the largest and most complete, including the complete company blueprint maps in four mile sections of the extension from Homestead to Key West. Hundreds and hundreds of documents, news articles, booklets, brochures, timetables, photographs, original badges from the “Key West Over-the-Sea Railway Celebration,” and even the American Railway Express Co., Key West, Fla. wax sealer & more, so, and as always, those who are interested are always welcome, but, and again, with arrangements made in advance, please."