Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz suggested "Quarters A," the commandant's home at the Key West Naval Station. The site offered maximum security and complete privacy for the president. The two-story "Quarters A," now known as the Little White House in Key West, is located on 2.27 acres of land purchased by the United States Navy in January 1854. The house was built in 1890 as a two-family dwelling for the paymaster and the commandant, and converted to a single dwelling in 1911. Thomas Edison resided in the house in 1918, while donating his services to the U.S. Navy's World War I effort.
President Truman's first Key West vacation, November 16 to 24, 1946, included an inspection of the air station and submarine base. On November 21, the President and his party of 22 boarded the captured German submarine U-2513 setting sail from Key West harbor. The sail included a dive to 450 feet—the first submarine dive by any American President. The following day, Truman visited Fort Jefferson National Monument on Dry Tortugas.
Soon after he arrived, President Truman wrote his wife, Bess, "This place is what I hoped it would be and what I was certain it would not be. ...I've just returned from the beach after trying out the schedule and my cough and cold are nearly gone already."
Like many visitors before and since, President Truman benefited from the rejuvenating powers of the Florida Keys. Between November 16, 1946 and March 27, 1952, President Truman would make 11 visits, totaling 175 days, to the Key West Little White House. His family joined him on four of these visits. Truman made five visits to Key West after he retired, the last in March 1969.
The effect of Truman's presence in Key West was immediately recognized as a boost to tourism. Harold Laubcher of the chamber of commerce was quoted in the Key West Citizen, November 18, 1946, "As a result of President Truman coming here for a week, giving Key West nationwide publicity, additional hundreds of persons from all over the country are likely to be here during the 1946-47 winter season." The state tourism department was also pleased, as motoring tourists had to drive the entire length of Florida to reach Key West.
Truman came to use the Little White House much as later presidents have used Camp David—as a place to relax and restore body and mind. However, the Little White House was the functioning White House during Truman's visits. With maximum security and minimum distractions, the site proved a good location for high-level meetings and productive work days. The weather and casual atmosphere seemed to lead to compromise. Some of Truman's staff confided they worked harder in Key West than they did in Washington. Press conferences were usually held on the lawn each Thursday, and the president's press secretary provided daily news briefings. Each morning Truman would meet with staff and advisers, who took their assignment and reported back to him later in the day. Telephone calls with cabinet members were received almost daily.
On December 3, 1947, during his second visit to Key West, President Truman took a daylong trip to Naples and Everglades City, where he dedicated Everglades National Park—the nation's third largest park, following Yellowstone and Denali. A crowd of over 5,000 including 150 Seminole Indians, attended the opening ceremony.
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