There are many locations around the world that have their own history and story. Few may know that in Tampa, FL, there is a city within a city. This place is known as Ybor City. Cigars and the cigar business itself, are such a strong part of Tampa's history that it was once labeled the Cigar Capital of the World. Even today, residents and others may refer to it as Cigar City.
Ybor City is actually a historic district near downtown in Tampa, Florida. It was named after Vincent Martinez Ybor, a Spaniard who immigrated to Cuba at the age of 14. He started off as a cigar salesman, Vincent Ybor eventually started to manufacturer the cigars he had been selling. He was able to start his own cigar factory in Havana but with war being a possibility, and the Cuban Revolution occurring, Vincent Ybor moved his factory to Key West, Florida.
His success in Key West wasn't consistent. Ybor City had business that was profitable, but labor and transportation problems made it hard to stay ahead. Gavino Guiterrez, a friend of Vincent, convinced him to investigate Tampa as a location to set some cigar roots. Tampa offered the climate, the water, and the transportation necessary for a productive operation.
Vincent Ybor liked the idea and what Tampa had to offer. He even purchased a large amount of land in 1886 and not only started a business, but started a community. This area, built for the purpose of housing Ybor’s factories and his factory workers, became known as the historic "Ybor City".
Following the lead of Ybor, other cigar manufacturers moved to the Tampa area and by the close of the 19th century, Ybor City and Tampa had the honor of being the largest cigar manufacturer in the world. Not to be outdone by the expansion of the industry it held, the area itself also saw a population boom as well.
Tampa then truly became home to the cigar industry. Most of the residents made their living making cigars and those who weren’t cigar rollers, were often able to find a job in a cigar-related trade. Some made cigar boxes and some made cigar bands, others owned restaurants where fans of “No Smoking“ signs were refused service. Ybor City was also a melting pot of cultures, it was home to a variety of Spanish, Italian, African and Cuban immigrants. It was this diversity of groups that grabbed onto the cigar industry, setting the tempo for the industry from the home of Cigars.
As more factories were built, Ybor City became the headquarters for cigar production, and even out-producing Havana back in Cuba. At the center of this was Vincent Ybor – he offered aid and monetary gain to reel manufacturers in from Cuba. By the 1900s, Ybor City was known as the “Cigar Capital of the World.”
Ybor City continued to grow and prosper, but the world around had a different path. The Great Depression, the popularity of cigarettes, the prevalence of organized crime in the area, and the introduction of cigar-rolling machinery all led to Ybor City’s demise. This drastically hurt the businesses based on hand rolling cigars and by the 1930s, as machines replaced workers and Cubans went back to their homeland, Ybor City was the capital no more.
Tampa residents know the rich history of Ybor City and its Cigars. In an attempt to preserve the history and culture of the area, it’s one of only three National Historic Landmarks districts in Florida. Although it's no longer the so called Cigar Capital of the World that it once was, Tampa and Ybor City are still a definite site to see. They have left their permanent mark in the history of the Cigar industry and will be remembered for their contribution. Cigar City
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