Ybor City is located just east of downtown Tampa. It was established around 1886 when Cuban exiles Vicente Martinez Ybor and Don Ignacio Haya decided to move their cigar factories from Key West to Tampa. Tampa was a small town with a population of 1000. The combination of H B Plant's railroad, a port and a humid climate that was good for the leaves attracted the cigar makers
This is Ybor City in 1919
7th avenue as it was in 1927
The sign above the men reads...V Martinez Ybor & Co. Cigar Factory. Cigar production peaked in 1929. The Great Depression was the beginning of the end of the cigar factories as demand fell and mechanized rolling was introduced.
Ybor City deteriorated in the 50's and 60's and by the early 70's few businesses remained. The Columbia Restaurant stayed in business and remains there today
In the early 80's Ybor City began a slow recovery and by the 90's many of the empty buildings became nightclubs, restaurants, bars and shops. The City thrives today with nightlife and shopping.
I leave you today with one of my favorite restaurants, Carmines on 7th avenue and a Tampa tradition...a cuban sandwich and a glass of Ybor Gold
One of my connections with Tampa is my Papa (Your Paw Paw's brother in-law) always smoked Tampa Nuggets. Loved those cigar boxes. Great for matchbox cars, baseball cards, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, love the Cuban food in Tampa. Wow!
Tampa Nuggets were made by the Hav-A-Tampa company that was one of the last to close in 2009. It opened in 1902..they still make Hav-A-Tampa's today...in Puerto Rico. Alan I took you to Carmine's once. Don't know if you remember that day we went to ybor and walked around...even bought a couple of cigars...
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