In 1840 General Walker Keith Armistead, commander at that time of United States troops in the Second Seminole War, ordered construction of a hospital on the island. U.S. Army headquarters for the war in Florida were moved to the island, and it became known as Depot Key.
General Walker Keith Armistead, who was commanding U.S. troops during the Second Seminole War in 1840, ordered a hospital built on the island. The U.S. Army's headquarters for the Florida conflict were transferred to this location, and it came to be known as Depot Key.