North Hyde Park in Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Benjamin Field/George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926

Benjamin Field side of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 17, 2019

1. Benjamin Field side of Marker

Inscription.
Benjamin Field

In 1896, this land was gifted to the City of West Tampa as a public park by George N. Benjamin, a prominent entrepreneur & early West Tampa leader. The park was built & 2 year later it was used by Theodore Roosevelt & the Rough Riders as a camp during the Spanish-American War.

In 1911, the property was developed as an airfield & small planes took customers on sight seeing rides. One of the 1st night flights in aviation history occurred here. In 1921, the City of Tampa leased the land to the Armory Board for use as a National Guard Drill Facility. During the 1920s, a large wooden boxing arena was constructed & matches were held for several years. In 1941, the wooden oval was replaced by a large concrete facility & named Fort Homer Hesterly for the commanding officer of the 116th Field Artillery. For 5 decades, the Armory served as a central community venue hosting dances, concerts, wrestling matches, & political events.

In 1961, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here. Pres. John F. Kennedy spoke here 4 days before his assassination. For over three decades, legendary acts such as Elvis Presley,

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James Brown, Johnny Cash, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Ramones & many more performed here. (Continued on other side) George N. Benjamin
b 1859 d 1929 (Continued from other side) George N. Benjamin settled in Tampa in 1875 & shortly after opened what would become the largest pharmacy in the city. The success of this business allowed him to purchase land west of the Hillsborough River from the State to plant orange groves. Following the freeze of 1895 which destroyed most of the orange crop, he began to develop land in what would become West Tampa & was instrumental in getting the Florida Legislature to incorporate the booming cigar town. Benjamin served on the West Tampa City Council for 17 years & 4 years as Mayor. His civic leadership was key on the growth of West Tampa as a vital cigar manufacturing hub. Along with his father in law Dr. Phillip Collins, Benjamin underwrote the construction of the Fortune St. bridge providing the first crucial link between West Tampa & Tampa. Benjamin also served as Director of the Bank of West Tampa & Supervisor of West Tampa Schools (his efforts produced a number of public schools in the city).

George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926 side of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 17, 2019

2. George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926 side of Marker

He also co-founded the Tampa Board of Trade & the South Florida Fair Association. His civic engagement & business acumen helped define the early West Tampa experience. Many of his descendants still reside in Tampa today.

Erected by The Benjamin Family.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 27° 56.913′ N, 82° 28.983′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. It is in North Hyde Park. It is at the intersection of North Howard Avenue and West Gray Street, on the left when traveling north on North Howard Avenue. Located on the grounds of the former Ft. Homer Hesterly Armory. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 522 North Howard Avenue, Tampa FL 33606, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally,

Benjamin Field/George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926 Marker looking north. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 17, 2019

3. Benjamin Field/George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926 Marker looking north.

Ft. Homer Hesterly Armory in background

it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rough Rider Encampment (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cespedes Hall (approx. 0.6 miles away); West Tampa Free Public Library (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Beginning of the Cigar Industry in West Tampa (approx. 0.6 miles away); The West Tampa Boys Club (approx. 0.7 miles away); Historic Doby House (approx. ¾ mile away); The Rough Riders Procure a Coal Train (approx. ¾ mile away); Academy of The Holy Names (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Rough Riders Encampment (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been reported to have been replaced with another marker now near it).

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,194 times since then and 109 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 30, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.