Miscellaneous
Edwin Oliver Gwynn Sr. was born on October 9, 1820 in New Providence, Bahamas. He was an auctioneer for a tobacco company that made cigars. In 1839, EO Gwynn married Anne Pinder, with whom he had one child, in Nassau. In April of 1851, Anne was granted a divorce from EO in Key West, on the basis of desertion. In 1855, Gwynn married Mary Elizabeth Pinder in the Bahamas. By 1860, EO Gwynn had come to Key West - drawn by the burgeoning cigar industry. In 1864, Gwynn was elected as Mayor of Key West, where he served 2 consecutive terms, ending in 1867. He was elected to a 3rd term in 1874, and his 4th and final term as Mayor started in 1881. By 1878, E.O. Gwynn owned a cigar factory in Key West, and he was exploring ways to expand his cigar production without being dependent on importing the tobacco from Cuba. He purchased 500 pounds of leaf tobacco that had been grown in Miami. He hoped at that time that tobacco could be raised in Miami in sufficient quantity that Key West manufacturers would not have to depend on purchasing their tobacco from Cuban growers. The attempt by the Miami grower to produce larger quantities of tobacco were unsuccessful and the experiment of growing tobacco in Miami was stopped after just 3 years. By 1883, E.O. Gwynn was functioning in the capacity as the State of Florida’s Deputy Surveyor, stationed in Key West. And because its Valentine’s Day, we have to direct the conversation to love. Love Lane in Key West is one of the most confusing streets because there isn’t just one Love Lane, there are 2 - one coming off Fleming St. and another off Southard St, but not meeting mid-block. Some maps also indicate that Gwynn Street, named for former Mayor and Cigar Tycoon E.O. Wynn is the actual lane that runs off Southard St. And yet another source cites Johnny Cake Lane as perhaps making up the northern half of Love Lane, and perhaps one time it did. As it turns out now, both the Fleming side and the Southard side are now call Love Lane. It seems that the reason they don’t meet in the middle is because the bungalow that bisects the lane was built on the down low and over the decades it has been allowed to stand and grandfathered in. And it was today, Feb. 14, 1884: that E.O. Gwynn, a native of the Bahamas, died. He was one of the early cigar makers in Key West. And that’s what happened Today in Key West History. Today in Key West History is brought to you by 43 Keys Media. You can find us at http://43keys.com.