An entertaining (even slightly Disneyesque) presentation of the wreckers – who were either brave souls who saved people and ships foundering on the dangerous reefs surrounding the island or greedy pirates who pillaged the lost treasures, depending upon your perspective. In any case, they played an important part in local vibrant history, as the resulting salvage industry is what Key West is built on, making it for a time in the 19th century the richest city per capita in the United States.

Read more about the "Conch Republic" in Tripatini member Fyllis Hockman's post Key West - Florida History Wrapped up in Fanciful Funk & Frivolity.