Asa F. Tift

Asa F. Tift. Asa Tift, was the son of Captain Amos Tift, one of the early settlers of Key West. He arrived here with his sons in 1825. Amos built a store in Key West that was taken over by Asa and his brothers on the death of their father. They expanded their holdings to include most of the Mallory Square area. They were successful merchants, ship owners, wreckers, ship and mail agents, and owners of a large warehouse to support the wrecking industry. The Tifts also established an ice house on the Mallory Square waterfront. The wrecking industry on which Asa Tift based his fortune was the major source of income in the early days of Key West. Wreckers were required to save the crew, passengers, cargo and if possible, the ships that ran afoul off the Florida reefs. The industry was closely regulated by the federal court in Key West. The ships, cargo and crews were brought to Key West. The cargos were stored in the warehouses and some were sold to pay for the repairs to the ship and the salvage fees awarded by the court. Asa's brother Nelson, with other members of the family, later settled in Georgia, The City of Tifton and Tift County, Georgia are named for them. Tift was a delegate from Monroe County to the Florida secession convention. During the Civil War, Tift joined his brother in Georgia to support the Southern cause. The brothers established a beef and pork packing plant, a hardtack factory, a grist mill and a barrel factory. They also began to construct the Confederate ship “Mississippi” in New Orleans. After the war Tift returned to Key West and remained until his death. He built, for his home, the house on Whitehead Street that was later owned by Ernest Hemingway and is today the Hemingway Home and Museum