Mystery surrounds 10-acre Indian Key, on the ocean side of the Matecumbe islands. Before it became one of the first European settlements outside of Key West, it was inhabited by American Indians for several thousand years. The islet served as a base for 19th-century shipwreck salvagers until an Indian attack wiped out the settlement in 1840. Dr. Henry Perrine, a noted botanist, was killed in the raid. Today his plants grow in the town's ruins. In October the Indian Key Festival celebrates the island's heritage. The Indian Key public dock reopened in 2008 after hurricane damage and Robbie's Marina has resumed ferry service. Most people kayak or canoe here from Indian Key Fill. Florida Keys Kayak has an office at Robbie's Marina. There are no rest rooms or picnic facilities on the island.
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