Asa Tift (died 1889) was the most notable salvager in

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

in the early 19th century. He owned a large salvaging operation, parts of which can still be seen as the

Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum The Key West Shipwreck Museum (formerly Shipwreck Historeum) is located in Key West, Florida, United States. It combines actors, films and actual artifacts to tell the story of 400 years of shipwreck salvage in the Florida Keys. The museum itse ...

(where tourists are shown around by an actor portraying Asa Tift). He was also responsible for the building of the

Ernest Hemingway House The Ernest Hemingway House was the residence of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. The house is situated on the island of Key West in Florida. It is at 907 Whitehead Street, across from the Key West Lighthouse, close to the southern ...

in Key West. He was also the brother of Nelson Tift (founder of Albany, Georgia).

Civil war

During the Civil War, Asa and his brothers financed a ship to be built for the Confederates in Mobile, Alabama. After the North's victory at Vicksburg, Nelson and Asa decided to blow up the ship rather than let it be captured by the Northern forces. After refusing to fuel a Union ship, Tift was expelled from Key West. He later returned and died in 1889.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tift, Asa People from Key West, Florida Businesspeople from Florida 1812 births 1889 deaths