Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
E.H. Gato Cigar Factory
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 12, 2014
1. E.H. Gato Cigar Factory Marker
Inscription.
The Gato Cigar Factory was constructed by Eduardo H. Gato in 1916. This Neo-Classical Revival, poured-concrete structure with a large central courtyard was constructed after an earlier wood frame factory on this site burned. Numerous windows provided much needed light for the workers. It is also one of the earliest American integrated workplaces where Cuban, African and Bahamian-Americans, and whites worked side by side while their children attended the same school. Small cottages were built near the factory to house the workers, and became an area known as Gatoville. The factory was a political center as workers raised funds to support efforts to free Cuba from Spain. The cigar industry was critical to Key West’s economy just before the 20th century, but declined in the early 1900s as cigar manufacturers moved to Tampa. In 1942 the Gato factory was sold to the Department of the Navy for use as a military barracks and cafeteria, and later served as the Navy Commissary until 1989. In 1998 Monroe County obtained the property, and in 2001 completed a rehabilitation to make the building home to Monroe County Offices, a cigar
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museum, and the Florida State Health Department.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2010 by The Historic Florida Keys Foundation and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-701.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.
Location. 24° 33.052′ N, 81° 47.834′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It is at the intersection of Simonton Street and Virginia Street, on the left when traveling north on Simonton Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1100 Simonton St, Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,881 times since then and 172 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
