Bridging the Generations: A Profile of Two Conch Families
Michelle Nicole Lowe
An exerpt from Culture Magazine 2021 article written by Michelle Nicole Lowe:
“…Archie Lowe arrived in Key West from Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas at the start of the 20th century. They were sea faring people – spongers, fishermen, hunting and gathering in the ocean for anything they could export to the rest of the country. Virgie Smith came to Key West on Flagler’s railroad shortly after its completion in 1912. Her brother helped to build the railroad that first connected the chain of islands to mainland Florida. Archie and Virgie Lowe were married in Key West in 1927 and raised their family in a “Key West” style home in “Old Town”. Verandahs on the first and second floor served as great outdoor living space in year-round warm weather. Several windows allowed cool breeze and light into every room. Shutters were easy to close up before a storm. Today, the Lowe family’s house is still standing on Fleming Street in Key West’s historic district, a wonderful place to take a walk and discover the island’s now famous architecture.
Archie’s sponging and fishing exports began due to demand for sponges and seafood around the country. He sold to a seafood market in Key West’s Historic Harbor that primarily peddled delicacies like turtle meat to restaurants around the country. The Harbor had dozens of commercial fishing boats arrive daily with sea turtles, fish and sponges for export. It wasn’t until the 1950s that conservation and rescue efforts began to protect this wildlife. Visit the Key West Turtle Museum, located on the same dock where Archie and many others worked, to learn more about Key West’s maritime history.
Post Great Depression, now President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal permanently changed the lives of Key West Conchs. City officials were desperate and surrendered office to the state of Florida. A relief program under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was put in place and Conch families along with FERA men and women from across the country worked to beautify the island creating the attractive destination we know today. Tourism in 1935 doubled that of previous years and brought hope to families like the Lowes. Archie’s work expanded to include running a curio shop on Margaret Street that carried items like sponges and seashells now not necessarily sold for use but sold as souvenirs.
The Lowe family led a simple, small town life surrounded by beautiful reefs, flats and islands, which at the time were untouched and loaded with sea life. Their children took their skiff out on the water on Friday after school – no GPS, no smart phones, no planes overhead, just the promise to be home before church Sunday morning.
A hundred years later, Archie and Virgie’s great granddaughter is an artist in Islamorada, a quaint and creative place between the Atlantic Ocean’s reefs and the Everglades’ mangrove islands. Michelle Nicole Lowe paints tarpon, parrotfish, turtles, pelicans and herons and promotes conservation of this marine life through her artwork. She is an advocate of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, painting several of their rescued and rehabilitated patients. Michelle can be found painting daily in her Islamorada Gallery. She greets visitors with stories of each colorful painting on display. Michelle’s two sons are the sixth generation to enjoy life on these islands!”