A Brief History

by Richard Adler

Bryan W. Newkirk was the first developer of Duck Key. He envisioned an island resort community, which would become the “Mecca of the Americas.”

Duck Key was an uninhabited island prior to the 1950s, an island that would be shared between a luxury resort and a secluded residential community. In earlier years there was a salt mining operation in the lowlands area. When Newkirk bought Duck Key it was a jumble of swamp and mangrove trees.

He paid $47,000 for the island and proceeded to spend millions developing it. In the process, millions of yards of fill were pumped onto the site, four miles of canal constructed, and the smaller residential islands within the island of Duck Key were created. In 1952, a wooden bridge connected Duck Key to the mainland and the major dredging and filling began.

Today, Duck Key has 376 homes and 250 lots, 70+ of which are now owned by Monroe County. There are three organizations that work on behalf of our island residents and property owners. In addition to the Duck Key Property Owners’ Association, Club Duck Key is a social club for residents who wish to join, and the Duck Key Security Advisory Board meets to review our security needs and advise the county on security matters.