| Florida (Hillsborough County), Brandon — Brandon Homestead |
| | In 1876 James H. Brandon, son of town
founder John Brandon and wife Martha,
built this large two-story frame home for
his wife Johanna and their seven
children. They loved entertaining guests
in their Folk Victorian southern mansion.
In 1901 William and DocEstelle Brandon
Varnedoe purchased the home. About
1912 Edward Linsley bought it and from
1946 to 1955 his daughter's family, the
Walter Clayton's lived here. In 1960, with
financial backing from John "Rudy" Williams, . . . — Map (db m27201) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — 1851 † 1891 |
| | Site of Tampa's First Church Building and first
frame ecclesiastical House of Worship erected
in the area of all South Florida. Built by the
Methodist congregation under the
superintendency of Rev. L. G. Lesley.
General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson contributed $5
in gold to its building fund; and General O.O.
Howard, head of the Freedmen's Bureau, Founder
of Howard College, Washington, D.C. was converted
therein. — Map (db m27199) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — 29 Sea Captains and Mariners |
| | Dedicated to the
memory of the
29 Sea Captains and
Mariners whose
vision and courage
chartered a course
of development
for Tampa Bay — Map (db m26967) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Capt. James McKay, I (1808 - 1876) |
| | On this site, after the devasting hurricane of 1848, McKay, a native of Scotland, built his first permanent home of finished lumber from Mobile, Ala. Here, with his wife Matilda,they raised their children. McKay was a dominant factor in the upbuilding of Tampa in pioneer times. His shipping lines established the first commercial connection with the outside world. In 1848, he built a courthouse; in 1858, opened the first cattle trade with Cuba, and in 1859, was elected Mayor. During the Civil . . . — Map (db m27265) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Courthouse Square |
| | For 104 years this block was the official site of executive and judicial government for Hillsborough County, Florida. The first courthouse, a log building burned by Seminole Indians in 1836, possibly stood here. Subsequent ones were built on this square in 1848, 1855 and 1891. The latter a unique red brick, silver domed building, designed by J.A. Wood, architect of H.B. Plant's famed Tampa Bay Hotel, was demolished in 1952. — Map (db m15730) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — De Soto |
| |
1539 1926
[ DAR Emblem ]
This Tablet Erected By
De Soto Chapter
D.A.R.
Marks the tree under which tradition say's
De Soto
Parleyed with the Indians — Map (db m20789) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Florida Sentinel Bulletin |
| | In December, 1945, C. Blythe Andrews re-opened the doors of the Florida Sentinel newspaper at 1511 Central Avenue. The original Florida Sentinel was founded in 1919, in Jacksonville, Florida by Mr. Andrews' father, General William W. Andrews. The newspaper ceased circulation during the Great Depression.
In 1959, Mr Andrews bought the Tampa Bulletin, merging the two papers, becoming the Tampa Florida Sentinel Bulletin. With a staff of seven, consisting of his wife, Johna, two sons, C. Blythe, . . . — Map (db m20052) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Fort Brooke Battery |
| | Replica Naval Mounts
Manufactured for
The Friends of Plant Park
The Citizens of Tampa, Hillsborough County
and The University of Tampa
Dedicated to
The original inhabitants, soldiers, sailors and
settlers who with blood sweat and toil
carved this area out of wilderness.
Funded by
The Fort Brooke Commission
[ Includes Council resolutions,
list of Chairpersons,
Manufacturer and designer ]
History of the Battery
Originally part of a battery of Three, mounted . . . — Map (db m20000) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Hillsborough County's Confederate Monument — Memoria In Aeterna — (In Eternal Remembrance) |
| |
(West face)
1861
To the Honor and Courage
of the patriots of the
Confederate States
of America,
This monument is dedicated by
Tampa Chapter,
No.113, U. D. C.,
and the citizens of Tampa.
January 1911.
Memoria
In Aeterna.
(South face)
1865
Lest
We
Forget.
(East face)
1861
Not theirs the rush of maddened wrath
that reckless sundered ties of blood,
but honor's beacon showed the path
where dauntless duty . . . — Map (db m26385) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Lt. Col. Franks S. Adamo, M.D. — Bataan's Medical Hero |
| | This distinguished native Tampan served with courage, honor and personal sacrifice as an army surgeon during WWII. He was captured and made a prisoner of war when the Japanese overran the Philippines. Afflicted with Beri-Beri and other diseases he performed heroically serving his comrades as doctor, friend and lifesaver.
Dr. Adamo discovered a revolutionary method in the treatment of gangrene using hydrogen peroxide and saved thousands of gangrenous limbs. A grateful nation decorated him . . . — Map (db m15429) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Memoria In Aeterna, 1911 — Hillsborough County's Confederate Monument |
| | (Front text)
In 1910, the United Daughters of the Confederacy,
Tampa Chapter No.113, began to raise funds for a
monument to honor the soldiers and sailors of the
Confederate States of America, The Hillsborough
County Commission granted the chapter, which had
been formed in 1897, a plot on the courthouse
square on the southwest corner of Franklin and
Lafayette Streets. The sculpture was originally
intended to be dedicated January 19, 1911,
Robert E. Lee's birthday. . . . — Map (db m27101) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — St. Andrew's Episcopal Church |
| | St. Andrew's Episcopal Church was established in Tampa in 1871. Its first service was held in the hospital building at Fort Brooke. A wooden church was erected in 1883 on the city block bounded by Marion, Twiggs, Morgan, and Madison Streets, which had been purchased by St. Andrew's Guild in 1877. A parish school house and rectory were soon added to the site.
In 1904, ground was broken for the present church. Local architects Miller & Kenard designed the Mediterranean Revival style building . . . — Map (db m26906) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — F-42 — Tampa as Port of Embarkation for Spanish American War |
| | From April to June, 1898, Tampa served as port of embarkation for U.S. troops on their way to Cuba. Some 30,000 troops arrived in Tampa and 16,000 embarked from Port Tampa on June 7. The Tampa Bay Hotel was headquarters for the force's leaders including Generals Miles and Shafter and Colonel "Teddy" Roosevelt. The city also swarmed with visiting civilians including author Richard Harding Davis and Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. — Map (db m13635) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — F-31 — Tampa Bay Hotel |
| | Henry B. Plant built this ornate Moorish structure at a cost of $3 million. Opened in 1891, it became the social and cultural center of early Tampa. During the Spanish American War it was headquarters for troops going to Cuba and house such visitors as Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Richard Harding Davis and Gen. Nelson Miles. Purchased by the City of Tampa in 1905, it has served as the main building of the University of Tampa since 1933. — Map (db m20020) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Tampa Bay Hotel |
| | On June 14, 1898, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt
and the First United States Volunteer Cavalry,
known as the Rough Riders, embarked from Port
Tampa for victory in the Spanish-American War.
The Tampa Bay Hotel was used as headquarters
for general officers who came to organize an
invasion force for Cuba, and it gained national
attention. Lt. Col. Roosevelt and his wife, Edith
Kermit Carow Roosevelt, were hotel guests for
a brief stay. Later, Colonel Thoedore Roosevelt
became the . . . — Map (db m20160) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Tampa Bay Hotel, 1891 — The University of Tampa, 1933 |
| | This former grand old resort hotel, a seat of
culture and education, has been the proud
symbol of Tampa since 1891. Erected by The
University of Tampa Class of 1991, on the
occasion of the centennial of the building,
this marker is a tribute to the role of the hotel
and the university in the rich history of this area.
Let those who have passed through these halls
inspire us to realize that life is truly what we make of it. — Map (db m20063) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Tampa POW/MIA |
| |
Throughout history we have answered
our country's call to arms,
for freedom, for justice,
for self-determination of an ally,
we have served, and sometimes paid
in grim coin the price exacted,
Through no fault of ours,
somehow we are left
on foreign shores,
Some of us lie in unmarked graves,
some of us remain behind prison bars
and some of us serve as slave laborers;
Yet all of us yearn to be
returned to the land of our birth,
Whether to live out the remainder . . . — Map (db m15120) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — 78000945 — Tampa Theatre |
| | This property has been
placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
By the United States
Department Of The Interior — Map (db m15882) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — F-451 — Tampa Union Station |
| | By 1902, the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) was formed and the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) had taken over the rail system of Henry B. Plant. Tampa Union Station (TUS) built in 1912, was designed by architect J.F. Leitner in Italian Renaissance style, and served both railroads. The companies contributed $250,000 to build the station, which was managed by Tampa Union Station Company. During the Depression, America's passenger railroad earnings fell by half. Higher revenues during WWII were offset by costs . . . — Map (db m4653) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Tampa's First Paved Sidewalk — 1888 |
| | Archibald Ross. A native of Scotland. A member of the City Council. "Tampa's popular baker and the poor man's friend." Paved the walk around his brick building on the southeast corner of Franklin and La Fayette Streets with Georgia marble.
"The first genuine pavement put down in Tampa" was 168 feet long and 8 feet wide.
These marble stones are the remnants of Archie Ross' historic sidewalk.
Preserved by the City of Tampa with the cooperation of the Tampa Historical Society. — Map (db m15972) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Teco Energy's Tampa Electric Company — Organized October 1899 |
| | In 1899, Colonel Peter O. Knight created Tampa Electric Company to serve the energy needs
of a growing Tampa community. Some 28 employees served 1200 customers with electricity from the region's first power plant, one powered by the water of the Hillsborough River. In 1903 a steam generating plant, renamed the Peter O. Knight Station in 1969, was built on Jackson Street and by 1906 the first turbo-generator was installed.
At the dawn of th 20th Century, Tampa Electric Company promoted such . . . — Map (db m15750) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — The Pam Callahan Nature Preserve — In tribute to and in memory of Pamela A. Callahan 1947 - 1993 |
| | Pam loved all aspects of nature and had a special feeling for these wetlands. She spearheaded a community effort to prevent this site from becoming yet another dense development. She fought for almost 3 years and never gave up. Despite difficult odds, she proved to the skeptics that one "can fight city hall" and win. Her success in stopping the developer allowed this land to remain pristine and available for ELAPP purchase. We, as well as future generations, owe her a debt of gratitude. Pam . . . — Map (db m13647) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — The Rough Riders Passed By Here |
| | On June 3, 1898, when Tampa was a
cluster of old weather beaten houses
floating on an ocean of sand, Teddy
Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
disembarked from their seven train
convoy in Ybor City, five miles from
Tampa City Hall.
They commandeered
some wagons, and moved men,
material and animals, through this
intersection to their encampment on
the Tampa Bay Hotel Road, about one
mile west of the river. The Rough Riders
who "could whip Caesar's Tenth
Legion," brought enduring fame to Tampa. — Map (db m15569) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — The Salvation Army — Tampa Corps |
| | Opened at this location
1893
by
Captain Wilbur Hall
and
Lieutenant Fred Weller — Map (db m14942) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — U.S.S. Sagamore |
| | During the Civil War the USS Sagamore
on June 30 - July 1, 1862 bombarded Tampa.
An 8 inch shell landed in the cemetery. — Map (db m26922) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — Union Raiders Burn Tampa Blockade Runners |
| | On October 18, 1863, a union task force of 85 soldiers found the “Scottish Chief” and “Kate Dale”, celebrated blockade runners, hidden in a remote anchorage in the Hillsboro River, near this site and set the ships afire. Owner-Skipper James McKay, I, had slipped through the Federal blockade six times. The alarm reached Tampa Town and the mounted rebels caught up with the raiders at Ballast Point. Three Unionists and six confederates were killed. This is the only Civil . . . — Map (db m4228) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa — United Spanish War Veterans — Tampa's 203 mm Spanish American War Gun |
| |
( North face )
This spot was headquarters
for Roosevelt Rough Riders.
Wheeler Cavalry and the
First Florida Troops 1898
( Northeast face )
This war brought the blue
of the cold bleak north and
the gray of the sunny south
into one great brotherhood and
liberty to an oppressed people
( East face )
Remember the Maine
( Southeast face )
[ Portrait ]
Admiral George Dewey
Victor of the Battle of Manilla Bay May 1 1898 . . . — Map (db m19979) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Tampa (Ybor City) — Roland M. Manteiga |
| | January 16, 1920 – September 25, 1998. Roland Manteiga chronicled events and politics that shaped Tampa and Ybor city and championed human rights for more than 40 years through his weekly column “As we heard it.” From his private table at La Tropicana Restaurant, where he broke bread with presidents and locals alike, this formidable owner and publisher of La Gaceta newspaper served as a conduit between power brokers and the powerless. As the conscience of the community, Manteiga became a legend in his own time. — Map (db m4454) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Thonotosassa — John B. Sargeant, Sr. — May 29, 1915 - March 6, 1989 |
| | John B. Sargeant is remembered as a "gentle" man who generously gave of his time so that future generations could enjoy the lands preserved here. A Polk County dairyman, he served twenty-seven years on the Hillsborough River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. — Map (db m13678) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Anthony P. " Tony" Pizzo — 1912 - 1994 |
| | Beloved Civic Leader, Historian,
Businessman and Author whose
infectious enthusiasm inspired the
preservation of Local History — Map (db m8849) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Attempt On The Life Of Jose Marti — 1893 |
| | In a small isolated cottage located in this
vicinity, an attempt to poison Jose Marti,
the leader of the Cuban Insurrection of
1895, was made by two Spanish agents.
Marti's intuition saved his life. The traitors
repented and Marti forgave them.
Two years later the plotters distinguished
themselves as patriots in the battle-field
as Marti had predicted. Jose Marti lost
his life during the skirmish at Dos Rios
May 19, 1895. — Map (db m14545) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — B.F. Marcos Building |
| | This structure has been
recorded by the
Historic American
Buildings Survey
of the United States Department
of the Interior for its Archives
at the Library of Congress — Map (db m10328) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — F-383 — Centro Español de Tampa |
| | Chartered on September 7, 1891, El Centro Español was the first Latin club organized in Ybor City. As a mutual aid society, it provided early Spanish immigrants with a framework by which they maintained their identity and culture while supplying social privileges and death and injury benefits. Financed by stock pledges of $10 each by the original 186 Charter Members, the society opened the first club building in June 1892 on land purchased by Ignacio Haya at 16th Street and 7th Avenue. . . . — Map (db m8716) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Columbia Restaurant — Founded 1905 |
| | The Columbia is the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in the United States. It was opened as a cafe for cigarmakers by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. When he died in 1930 his son Casimiro Hernandez, Jr. then brought it to its present glory.
The Columbia has helped popularize Spain's exotic cuisine in America, and through the years has played host to celebrities and world figures. The restaurant has always been under the management of the founding family. — Map (db m8991) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Cradle of Cuban Liberty |
| | On this corner was located El Liceo Cubano,
a tobacco stripping house converted into a
Cuban social center in 1886. This is the cradle
of Cuban independence. Here, on Nov. 26-27,
1891, Jose Marti delivered the two speeches,
"Con Todos y Para Todos" and "Los Pinos
Nuevos", and drafted "Las Resoluciones"
which became the program of the united
Cuban Revolutionary Party and eventually
secured the independence of Cuba from
Spain in 1898. — Map (db m15157) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — El Chino-Pajarito Restaurant |
| | Cuban exiles in the 1890's met to plot for independence at a restaurant operated on this site by the patriot Antonio Menendez, a Chinese from Cuba.
Many revolutionaries on their way to join the Mambi Army in Cuba, were given warm welcome and free rations. The Freedom fighters, before leaving for guerilla warfare in the savannas, were equipped with machetes and knives from the kitchen of El Chino - Pajarito.
On occasions Jose Marti dined here with rebel leaders. — Map (db m15295) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — F-382 — El Circulo Cubano — (Cuban Club) |
| | Late 19th and early 20th century Cuban immigration to the United States was impressive for the craft talents brought to the country. Along with their Spanish counterparts, skilled Cuban cigarmakers made Tampa's hand-rolled cigars world-famous. As early as 1899 Cuban immigrants formed recreational societies with varying degrees of success, and in 1902 Cuban workers founded El Circulo Cubano as a mutual aid society to "bind all Cuban residents of Tampa into a fraternal group, to offer . . . — Map (db m14992) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — F-39 — Founding of the Cigar Industry in Tampa |
| | In 1886 two cigar factories were completed
at Tampa signaling the founding of the
industry in the area. Pioneer manufacturer
was Vincente Martinez Ybor, a native of
Spain, who had made cigars at Havana and
Key West. Ybor's move to Tampa was
prompted by better transportation
and favorable terms offered by Tampa's
Board of Trade. Due to the efforts of
Ybor and his associates. Tampa became a
world tobacco manufacturing center. — Map (db m15023) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Historic Fire Station No. 4 |
| | In 1897, the first city-owned fire station in Ybor City was established on this site, then the heart of the Italian section.
It was a two- story frame building with a bell tower. Equipped with a hose - wagon and a hook and ladder truck, it also housed a blacksmith shop, and served as a hospital for fire horses.
In 1906, it was replaced with a brick building, and was used until 1972. In 1974, the station was designated for a museum, but was destroyed through a bureaucratic blunder. — Map (db m8778) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Historic Fort King Trail |
| | The Old Military Road connecting Ft. Brooke (Tampa) and Ft. King (Ocala) ran through this vicinity. On Dec. 23, 1835, Maj. Francis L. Dade set out over the Trail with a detachment of 109 soldiers to reinforce the small garrison of Ft. King.
On the morning of Dec. 28, 1835, Chief Alligator, leading the Seminoles and Maroons, ambushed the Dade Expedition near Bushnell. Only three survived. The Dade Massacre, planned by the fiery Osceola marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War. — Map (db m8980) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Hotel De La Havana — 1887 1891 |
| | During the fabulous pioneer days of Ybor City the famed Hotel De La Havana was located on this corner. The three story frame structure was the first hotel erected in the Latin Quarter. Its proprietors were Jose Rubin and Jacinto Olavarria.
The hotel was headquarters for newly arrived tobacco workers and Cuban political exiles. The building was destroyed during Ybor City's first great fire in November 1891. — Map (db m8775) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Italian Club Life In Tampa |
| | Tampa's Italians have supported a flourishing
club life almost from their first arrival in the
1880's. L'Unione Italiana, the first mutual aid
society, was organized in 1894. Initially located
directly across the street, the club stood there
until fire destroyed it in 1914. The Italian
community replaced it with the present structure
in 1918.
Centers such as this, La Società Italia,
and the Sons Of Italy Lodge, have provided
numerous cultural, educational and medical
services . . . — Map (db m8771) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — José Martí |
| |
( Spanish )
Desde esta escalinata
En el Año 1893
José Martí
Apóstol de la Libertad
de Cuba
Con elocuentes palabras
pidió a los tabaqueros
Cubanos emigrados que le
ayudasen a conquistar la
independencia de su país,
aportando hombres, armas
y dinero.
Muchos obreros cambiaron
la chaveta por el machete
y otros donaron centenares
de miles de pesos para
salvar de la opresión
a un pueblo y crear
la República de Cuba
[English Translation) . . . — Map (db m14431) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — L’Unione Italiana — The Italian Club |
| | Tampa's first Italian–American society
was organized April 4, 1894. During its
early years the club assisted members
through cultural enrichment, providing
education, health care and financial help
to the families of deceased members.
L'Unione Italiana has made a lasting
contribution in preserving the colorful
ambiance of Italy, which enriches the
cultural life of the Tampa community. — Map (db m8769) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — La Joven Francesa Bakery |
| | Francisco Ferlita, a native of Santo Stefano, Sicily, established a bakery on this site in 1896. Bread sold for three cents and five cents, and often on credit. In 1922 the wooden structure was destroyed by fire, and a yellow brick building was built around the remaining old red brick ovens. Ferlita died in 1931, and his five sons Stephen, Angelo, Joe, Tony and John continued making Cuban bread until 1973.
At the peak of production 35,000 loaves of Cuban bread were produced weekly. Tampa's . . . — Map (db m8703) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — La Liga Patriotica De Instruccion — Est. 1889 — (The Patriot League Instruction) |
| | On this corner was located the famous night school
which was established for the welfare of the Cuban
emigres of the flourishing cigar center. Classes were
conducted by Don Jose Guadalupe Rivero. To these
compatriots who worked with tabacco leaves in the
day and book leaves at night, Josi Marti, praising
their revolutionary efforts confessed, "I thought I
was coming to do something, but I find that everything
has been done". — Map (db m14910) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Mayor Nick C. Nuccio — A Man Of Character |
| | Born in Tampa on October 24, 1901, the son of Sicilian immigrants, Vincenzo and Rosalia Nuccio. Mayor Nick C. Nuccio was born on Eighth Avenue, where he lived much of his life. He passionately believed in conducting his personal and professional life in a way that met the highest standards of integrity and exemplary character. His tenure as the first Latin Mayor of Tampa helped to pave the way for others of similar origin to find success in public service. His partner in life for more than 65 . . . — Map (db m8911) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Orestes Ferrara |
| | Cuban patriots used this corner for street meetings in 1895. Among the speakers was Orestes Ferrara young Italian revolutionary in his Garibaldi red shirt. Ferrara stirred the Cuban exiles to fighting frenzy against Spanish oppression.
The young Italian joined a Tampa expedition to Cuba and became a celebrated guerrilla under Gen. Maximo Gomez with the birth of the Cuban Republic. Ferrara
rose to high office as lawyer, author, President of the Cuban Senate, Secretary of State and Cuban Ambassador to the United States. — Map (db m8939) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Rough Riders |
| |
1 [Crossed Sabres Emblem]
1st U.S. Volunteer
Cavalry Regiment
Rough Riders Park
Dedicated March 1, 2003
Ybor City, Tampa, Florida
(Top Plaque)
"You Triumphed Over Obstacles
Which Would Have Overcome Men
Less Brave and Determined"
President McKinley
[Emblem of Hiker of '98]
Presented by
National Auxiliary
United Spanish War Veterans
To The City Of Tampa, Florida
at the . . . — Map (db m15369) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Rough Riders Rode By Here — 1898 |
| | The intersection of Seventh Avenue and Twentysecond Street was a sandy cross-road connecting three army encampments in the Ybor City area during the Spanish-American War.
At this cross-road was located a water-trough where the Rough Riders watered their mounts.
Col. "Teddy" Roosevelt frequently rode by here on his horse "Texas," followed by this little dog, "Cuba." — Map (db m8993) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — F-387 — Sociedad La Union Marti~Maceo |
| | When local segration forced the withdrawal
of Afro-Cubans from El Club Nacional Cubano,
an organization of black and white Cubans
involved in Cuban independence, Afro-Cuban
cigarmakers founded a society in 1900 as Los
Libres Pensadores de Marti y Maceo. Ruperto
Pedroso, well known Afro-Cuban patriot, was
among the 23 original founders. The club
merged with La Union in 1904, resulting in the
new name, La Union Marti-Maceo. In 1909
members completed construction of a two-story . . . — Map (db m15098) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Tampa's Oldest Restaurant — 1890 |
| | Las Novedades was founded on this site when Ybor City
was a tiny village. Its proprietor was Manuel (Canuto )
Menendez. The coffee shop was a favorite rendezvous
for the pioneer cigarmakers of Sanchez y Haya Cigar
Factory located across the street. In November 1891 Las
Novedades was destroyed by fire. It reopened in 1892.
During the Spanish - American War the Rough Riders
gained local fame when they gayly galloped into the
small restaurant, and the Latin inhabitants termed the
escapade "The Charge Of The Yellow Rice Brigade." — Map (db m8796) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — The Birth Of Ybor City |
| | In Oct. 1885, John T. Lesley sold to V. Martinez Ybor & Co. the first tract of land on which was built the original Ybor City. Purchased for $9,000 cash, Tampa citizens underwrote $4,000 of this amount to the new owners in pledged land and notes. Totaling 40 acres (of which Lesley donated 10) the site was bounded here on the East by California (15th) St., West by Leroy (11th) St., South by Kentucky (6th) Ave. and North by Texas (10th) Ave. The main thoroughfare was named Georgia (Broadway - . . . — Map (db m8662) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — The Cherokee Club — "El Pasaje" — 1888 |
| | The second brick building erected in Ybor City.
The Cherokee Club was a popular rendezvous for
the elite in the 1890's. Later became known as El
Pasaje Restaurant. Its fame spread throughout
the Americas.
Jose Marti slept here on his first trip, Nov.25,1891.
Before retiring he said, "I feel happy amongst
warriors..." Others who came here were: Col.
"Teddy" Roosevelt, Pres. Grover Cleveland, Sir
Winston Churchill, Gen. Leonard Wood and
Frederick Remington. From 1890 to 1935 all
Governors of Florida were feted here. — Map (db m15274) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — The Coming of the Italians |
| | With the advent of the cigar industry in 1886,
the Italians were attracted in mass to the environs
of Ybor City. They found employment in cigar
factories, the building of the Tampa Bay Hotel,
the construction of railroads, and farming. The
Italians settled in the eastern area of Ybor City,
then called "La Pachata" in honor of a Cuban
rent collector and the first settler in the area.
Their descendants have achieved high political
positions and notable success in the fields . . . — Map (db m8780) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — The Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago |
| | In 1175, Pope Alexander III, authorized "La Orden Real Sant' Yago" to protect the Pilgrims' Way to the shrine of Santiago (St. James), at Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. Among the Spanish conquerors of America, Ponce De Leon, Panfile De Narvaez and Hernando De Soto were members.
In 1972, Ybor City civic leaders, Dr. Henry Fernandez, Cesar Gonzmart, Joe Granda, Joe Lopex, and Daniel Martinex obtained the first charger of the Order in America. The Krewe is dedicated to the . . . — Map (db m8990) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Vicente Martinez-Ybor — Pioneer of the Cigar Industry in Florida and Founder of Ybor City |
| | Born in Valencia, Spain on September 7, 1818 and died in Ybor City on December 14, 1896 and buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in downtown Tampa.
In 1853 at an early age the adventurous Spaniard left his native land and traveled to Cuba which was under the dominance of Spain and where he established his first cigar factory and produced ths world renowned "El Principe De Gales" ("The Prince of Wales") brand.
Due to his support for Cuban independence from Spain in 1868 he had to flee Cuba and . . . — Map (db m8846) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — Ybor Centennial Park |
| | On June 12, 1986, the Tampa City Council passed Ordinance No. 9297-a
naming this park:
“Ybor Centennial Park By Which Name It Shall Hereafter And Forever Be Known.”
Signed: Bob Martinez, Mayor; Sandra W. Freedman. Chairman, City Council
The ordinance commemorates Ybor City’s Centennial and its colorful and vibrant past.
The park officially honors Vicente Martinez-Ybor, the developer of Ybor City. This world famous cigar center gave Tampa its rich . . . — Map (db m8750) |
| Florida (Hillsborough County), Ybor City — F-388 — Ybor City Historic District |
| | Vincente Martinez-Ybor, a wealthy Spanish
cigar manufacturer from New York and
Key West, began development of Ybor City
in 1885. On April 12,1886, 500 Cuban cigarmakers
boarded the sidewheeler Hutchinson in
Key West and sailed for Tampa. Over 3,000
workers arrived by the end of 1886. Cigar
factories and home construction flourished
and businesses thrived. Ybor City became
known as the "Cigar Capitol of the World."
The Ybor City Historic District includes
more than 1,300 . . . — Map (db m14892) |
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