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A Journey into Tampa’s HistoryCigar City Rises from its Smokin’ PastBy Chris MillikanVisiting Ybor (EE-bore) City swept us back into early Tampa history. It seemed fitting to start our day munching “ethnically authentic” guava turnovers and sipping freshly brewed cafe con leche in its museum’s breezy courtyard. The remarkable Ybor Museum occupies the Ferlito Bakery Building, first established by Italian immigrants in 1846. Inside, perfectly preserved brick ovens inspired awe. Low arches led into the immense cavernous chambers that supplied golden loaves of Cuban-styled bread, retrieved with long handled wooden paddles. A docent related a startling story. “In charge of maintaining these ovens, my grandfather would dress in wet canvas clothing. Thickly covered, he crawled quickly inside repairing tiles. That way, baking could be continuous with no time lost to shut downs. Grandmother never really understood what he did at the bakery.” Artifacts revealed colourful stories of people and lifestyles in Ybor City from 1886. Influential cigar manufacturer Don Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his business from Key West to palmetto covered east Tampa in 1885; others followed. Spanish, Italian, Cuban and German immigrants settled there to work in the cigar industry, creating the vivacious community that defined Ybor City, still Florida’s most culturally diverse district. Prominent in immigrant lives, social clubs offered “cradle-to-grave” health care, education, recreation activities and social events. Serving specific groups, they preserved and transmitted traditional folkways and heritage to following generations.
The self-guided tour ended at a dramatic black and white wall photo depicting hundreds of cigar rollers at work. In front, Roberto sat at a scuffed wooden table nimbly rolling cigars with artistry. During Ybor’s heyday, “el lector” would have been reading news or literature from an elevated platform to such workers.
Later we met historian Maureen Patrick in the restful Mediterranean patio garden of the late 19th century. This version included tropical fruit trees, statuary and a fountain. Dressed in a forest-green ruffled walking dress featuring leg-of-mutton sleeves, she snapped open her lacy red fan and declared, “our historic buildings, monuments and markers can best be appreciated during a walk along our original brick streets complete with these old-time globe street lamps.” Gathering at Centennial Park, we studied an immigrant statue and dedicated wall recording early family names. Maureen soon began to unfold the vibrant story of decline and renaissance in Ybor City.
Several brick buildings remain clustered around the corner of Avenida Republica de Cuba and 9th Avenue. Now a market place, the mammoth Ybor Cigar Factory complex (1886) covers an entire block. From the ornate wrought iron porch in 1893, Cuban patriot Jose Marti urged cigar workers to join the fight against the Spanish dominating Cuba. Marti Park and statue stand further down the block at the former home of Cuban-American patriot and his protector, Paulina Pedrosa. Dominating the northeastern corner, El Pasaje Hotel (1896) housed the Cherokee Club, an elite hotel for gentlemen. Dignitaries such as Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and artist Frederic Remington stayed there. Ybor Cigar Factory faces El Bien Publico (1895), the original land improvement company and today a beautiful boutique hotel. Historic Don Vicente Inn offers old world charm, ornate furniture and contemporary cuisine in elegant settings. Once a common way for cigar rollers to travel to work in factories, electric streetcars once again transport passengers from Ybor City to downtown Tampa. Waiting for one of these nostalgic yellow replicas to pass, Maureen reminded us “Ybor was once THE CITY, a much more sophisticated, planned urban area than others at the time. Along 7th Avenue, business marquees map early mercantile life in the city.” Notable are Max Argintar (1908) still selling men’s clothing; the Ritz Theatre (1917) a movie palace, now a club and Bank of Ybor (1910) now a restaurant. In the heart of Ybor, Maureen wraps up the walking tour. “The social clubs, all architecturally impressive, still testify to the ambitions of the times. Centro Espanol, a landmark from 1912, has been snatched from dereliction, restored and converted into a modern multi-level complex of shops, a ballroom, "improv" theater and a restaurant, graced with a period chandelier.” We rounded out our journey into the past in Florida’s oldest restaurant. Opened on 7th Avenue in 1905, patrons would gather in the small cafe to drink steaming cups of Cuban coffee and discuss the news of the day. The fifth generation of founder Casimiro Hernandez Sr. continues Cuban-Spanish traditions at the Columbia Restaurant, a remarkable tiled “palace” now occupying a city block.
Afterward, Casimiro’s great-grandson proudly whirled us through the Columbia’s 11 dining rooms, each colourfully replicating the ambiance of the 1890s. “We’re preparing for our 100th anniversary. Our efforts will recreate the original look of the Columbia with colour schemes and furnishings, all new details maintaining the flavour of Spain.” The old city thrives once more, rising from the cigar smoke that first made it great. Covering three square miles, it is one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. By day, Ybor is popular for its history with walks in streetscapes accurately reflecting the charm of the past; by night, a hot spot for jazz, restaurants and trendy clubs. Tampa Tourist Bureau www.visittampabay.com r1-800-4 TAMPA Chase Suites by Woodfin www.woodfinsuitehotels.com/ Henry B. Plant Museum www.plantmuseum.org Tampa Theatre www.tampatheatre.org Ybor City State Museum www.ybormuseum.org or www.ybor.org Maureen Patrick M.A.- Historian www.historicguides.com Columbia Restaurant www.columbiarestaurant.com |
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At the peak nearly 12,000 people worked in over 200
factories. Master tobaqueros hand-rolled 700 million cigars in the
flourishing “Cigar Capital of the World”. When cigarette popularity overtook
cigar consumption, the industry wavered. The Cuban embargo eliminated
access to the best leaf tobacco in the world, devastating Cigar City.
Built for cigar workers around 1895, three cottages sit
long the quiet street. We soon understood their practical popularity in the
rural south. Constructed from durable Florida pine and shingled with
cypress or cedar, these casitas survived termites, fire and time. Long
narrow windows located on opposite sides of “shotgun-style” hallways
captured breezes and cooled the tidy rooms. Many lacked indoor plumbing or
electricity until the 1920’s. Surprisingly, casitas rented for $1.50 to
2.50 a week or could be purchased for $400 to 900 on a payroll deduction
plan. Mr. Ybor was known as an enlightened employer.
The Marcos building (1908) typified the merchant
lifestyle of the day. Shops and businesses occupied lower levels; from
upstairs living areas wrought iron balconies over-looked the social life
along busy 7th Avenue, still the bustling main street. 
Against the backdrop of a graceful dolphin fountain in
a sunny courtyard, waiters concocted fruity sangria at our table. Chunks of
warm Cuban bread accompanied traditional soups, salads and delicious
entrees. Many recipes originated from royal chefs hired from the King of
Spain as far back as James I.