Islamorada

Islamorada, a "Village of Islands", is an incorporated village in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located on the islands of Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plantation Key in the Florida Keys.HistoryThe name Islamorada, "The Purple Isle", came from early Spanish explorers in the area. Its pronunciation has been anglicized to.Islamorada was hit almost directly by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, causing 423 deaths. A memorial, including the ashes of over 300 victims, exists today at Overseas Highway mile marker 82.Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams began visiting Islamorada in 1943 and for the next 45 years was the island's most well-known resident. After his retirement from baseball he became the national spokesman for Sears sporting goods, and became renowned for his abilities as a fisherman. Over the decades, he hosted numerous celebrities at his Islamorada house and took them on local fishing trips. Williams’ residency in Islamorada ended in 1988 when he moved to Hernando, Florida. He cited the island’s increased development as his reason for leaving; he reportedly said that he knew it was time to leave when he could no longer make a left turn on to U.S. Route 1 because of the traffic.