Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Eduardo H. Gato House
Photographed By Jay Kravetz, September 26, 2016
1. Eduardo H. Gato House Marker
Inscription.
Eduardo H. Gato House. . This house, with its elaborate Queen Anne style detailing, was built c. 1894 by E. H. Gato, Sr. (1847-1926). The Gato family was one of Key West's most prominent families, and three generations of the family lived here until 1951. Eduardo H. Gato was a Cuban patriot who helped finance Cuba's revolutionary leaders including Jose Marti, who fought for freedom from Spain. Gato came to Key West in 1874. He was instrumental in Key West's evolution from a small fishing town to one of Florida's wealthiest cities through his development of the Cuban tobacco industry. He built Key West's foremost cigar factory, where millions of cigars, using tobacco imported from Cuba, were hand rolled and boxed for shipment worldwide. In 1917, he built the first fireproof cigar factory on Simonton Street and constructed a nearby "city" of frame cigar workers' cottages, the Barrio de Gato, or Gatoville. Gato was president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Co.; vice-president of the Key West Bank; and proprietor of the Key West Street Car, a horse-drawn system. Eduardo H. Gato Jr. (1874-1948) served as vice-president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Company and oversaw the extensive Gato real estate holdings.
This house, with its elaborate Queen Anne style detailing, was built c. 1894 by E. H. Gato, Sr. (1847-1926). The Gato family was one of Key West's most prominent families, and three generations of the family lived here until 1951. Eduardo H. Gato was a Cuban patriot who helped finance Cuba's revolutionary leaders including Jose Marti, who fought for freedom from Spain. Gato came to Key West in 1874. He was instrumental in Key West's evolution from a small fishing town to one of Florida's wealthiest cities through his development of the Cuban tobacco industry. He built Key West's foremost cigar factory, where millions of cigars, using tobacco imported from Cuba, were hand rolled and boxed for shipment worldwide. In 1917, he built the first fireproof cigar factory on Simonton Street and constructed a nearby "city" of frame cigar workers' cottages, the Barrio de Gato, or Gatoville. Gato was president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Co.; vice-president of the Key West Bank; and proprietor of the Key West Street Car, a horse-drawn system. Eduardo H. Gato Jr. (1874-1948) served as vice-president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Company and oversaw the extensive Gato real estate holdings.
Erected 2013 by Santiago Family and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-765.)
Location. 24° 32.838′ N, 81° 47.792′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Duval Street and South Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1327 Duval St, Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 6, 2017, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 984 times since then and 107 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 6, 2017, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
