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

Captain Dexter and Snowball: The First Six-Toed Cat

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 19, 2024

1. Captain Dexter and Snowball: The First Six-Toed Cat Marker

Inscription. Captain Harold Stanley Dexter was a highly respected shipwreck and salvage captain. He had sailed to KeyWest from his home in Massachusetts with a white six-toed cat named Snowball. They were both well-regarded on the docks of Key West.

Dexter and Snowball knew Hemingway from the docks. Hemingway was intrigued with the six-toed cat, so Dexter gifted him with a kitten from Snowball's litter.

The Hemingway boys named the kitten Snow White, and as Hemingway once wrote, "One cat just leads to another." Hemingway named the subsequent six-toed kittens after his famous friends.

Visit the Cat Cemetery to learn the names of all the cats that have lived on the estate. Yes, many of them are related to the original Snowball.

(captions)
(left) Captain Harold Stanley Dexter lived in Key West from 1921-1937.
(center) Cats have been welcomed aboard ships since ancient times. Pictured above is Blackie, the official cat of the HMS Prince of Wales, who is famous for having once greeted Winston Churchill.
(right) Hemingway sons Patrick and Gregory with their six-toed cat, Snow White.

Erected by The Hemingway Home and Museum.

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Animals.

Location. 24° 33.086′ N, 81° 48.027′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It can be reached from the intersection of Whitehead Street and Olivia Street, on the left when traveling south. Located on the grounds of the Hemingway Home and Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 907 Whitehead St, 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 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: Kermit "Shine" Forbes: Sparring Partner for Papa (here, next to this marker); Hemingway Boxing in Life and Writing

The cat cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 19, 2024

2. The cat cemetery

(a few steps from this marker); The Hemingway Pool an Unprecedented Architectural Feat (a few steps from this marker); Hemingway's Model A Ford: "The Ride" in Key West (a few steps from this marker); Miriam Williams: Hemingways' Personal Chef (a few steps from this marker); Construction of the Historic House 1850-1851 (a few steps from this marker); The Brick Wall: Hemingway's "Privacy Fence" (a few steps from this marker); Captains and First Mates: Papa's Teachers of the Sea (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.

The names of many of the cats image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay

3. The names of many of the cats

More of the cats' names image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 19, 2024

4. More of the cats' names

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 19, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,107 times since then and 129 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 19, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.