Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Lena Johnson

1870 - 1932

— Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden —

Lena Johnson Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, May 4, 2023

1. Lena Johnson Marker

Inscription. Lena Johnson made her living by baking cakes and making “pull candy” taffy. She lived in a frame dwelling on Division Street (Truman: Avenue). In 1916, when the Boy Scout Troop needed a meeting place she gave them a small frame building at the rear of her property. At the scout meetings she provided cake and candy. In 1922, Scoutmaster Charles Sands, wrote the National Boy Scout Headquarters asking if it was permissible to have a Scout Mother. The National Headquarters replied there was no such title but they liked the idea and were suggesting it to other Scout Troops. She also organized the Girl's Friendly Society which met twice a week to help introverts get over their bashfulness. She taught them how to bake, make candy and aided the girls in cultivating lasting friendships. In an era, when married women lost all separate legal identity and women were expected to marry and not work outside of the home, Lena Johnson was able to support herself. Women were given the right to vote when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was proclaimed on August 26, 1920. In 1927, Lena Johnson was elected to the City Council, the

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first woman elected to a political office in Monroe County. She soon decided politics was not for her and did not run for re election. When she died on. March 24, 1932, a respected citizen of Key West and an honored pioneer of women's rights, the Boy Scouts served as honorary pallbearers.
Donated by
Bellsouth

Erected by On Wall Street intersection of Tift’s Aly on left traveling north.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Government & Politics • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is August 26, 1920.

Location. 24° 33.588′ N, 81° 48.413′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It can be reached from the intersection of Wall Street and Tifts Street. The marker is located within the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Wall Street, Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, May 4, 2023

2. Lena Johnson Marker

Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ernest Hemingway (here, next to this marker); John Lowe, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Carlos Manuel De Cespedes y Cespedes (here, next to this marker); Livingston Wellesley Bethel (here, next to this marker); John Watson Simonton (here, next to this marker); Captain Edward "Bra" Saunders (here, next to this marker); Norberg Thompson (here, next to this marker); William R. Kerr (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.

Also see . . . The Key West Sculpture Garden – Where History Meets Art. (Submitted on May 18, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Lena Johnson image. Click for full size.

Rugen Studio, Newport, RI (Johnson/Watlington collection, May Hill Russell Library), 1913

3. Lena Johnson

“Lena Johnson, 1870-1932, was the first woman to hold elective office in Monroe, County. She served on the Key West City Commission 1927-1929.“

Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,038 times since then and 105 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 18, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3. submitted on May 30, 2023. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.