Key West Sponsor | Conch Republic Remains Playful Reminder of the Keys’ Spirit
In 1982, frustrated by a US Border Patrol roadblock causing a 17-mile traffic jam and harming tourism, Key West leaders, led by Mayor Dennis Wardlow, decided to “secede” from the US, creating the Conch Republic as a tongue-in-cheek protest. On April 23, the Conch Republic declared its independence with a symbolic “battle” involving water balloons,…









