Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Gary
Photographed By AGS Media, August 2, 2010
1. Gary Marker
The name Gary was officially recognized with the establishment of the Gary post office in 1898. The official plat of "Gary-Town" was recorded in May 1903. The Gary neighborhood included both Gary-Town and Spanish Park, located to its east. The neighborhood's boundaries extended from 26th Street on the west to 40th Street on the east. The population included Anglos, Italians, Spaniards and Cubans. Celery farming played a prominent role in Gary. The neighborhood also included cigar factories, a citrus packing house, dairies, a blacksmith shop, churches, boarding houses and several retail establishments.
The City of Gary was incorporated in October 1915. The municipal boundaries stretched from 30th Street on the west to 37th Street on the east and Wall Street (21st Avenue) on the north to the bay on the south. The state legislature abolished the City of Gary in 1919. Then, in 1923, the City of Tampa extended its boundaries to encompass the former City of Gary.
After World War II, an African American population moved into Gary. Unfortunately, in the 1960's Interstate 4 cut through the neighborhood, destroying many homes. Still, the community's spirit survived. The Gary School was recognized by the City of Tampa as an historical landmark in 2005. Former residents and friends fondly remember their neighborhood and
this page online
Erected 2007 by The Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Hispanic Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1903.
Location. 27° 57.608′ N, 82° 25.364′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. Marker is at the intersection of East 7th Avenue and North 33rd Street, on the right when traveling east on East 7th Avenue. The marker is planted along the sidewalk in front of the Cypress Gulf Development Corporation. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3313 East 7th Avenue, Tampa FL 33605, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Tobacco War (approx. 0.3 miles away); Giunta Homestead and Farm (approx. 0.6 miles away); Most Holy Name (approx. 0.6 miles away); Columbia Restaurant (approx. ¾ mile away); The Rough Riders Rode By Here (approx. ¾ mile away); The Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago (approx. ¾ mile away); The Coming of the Italians (approx. 0.8 miles away); The 1937 Antifascist Women's March (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.
More about this
Photographed By AGS Media, August 2, 2010
2. Gary Marker
Regarding Gary. The Gary neighborhood has evolved over the decades, seeing its residential areas shrink, giving way to industrial, railroad, and commercial use.
Gary is home to the TN tower, the last railroad interlocking tower in Florida, at the site where the former main line for the Tampa Northern (later Seaboard's Clearwater main) crosses the former Atlantic Coast Line "A-line" main. All are today owned by CSX Transportation, which has two large rail yards to the east of Gary. Gary is home to another important rail junction, the Neve Wye, where twice a day Amtrak's Silver Star pulls in, in order to back into Tampa Union Station, which is a stub-end terminal.
Gary's other remaining claim to fame is La Gaceta, which is the only tri-lingual newspaper published in the US. From its offices and press, in a building catty-cornered across the intersection from the Gary historical marker, a weekly paper is published in English, Español, and Italiano. The paper was founded in 1922 by Victoriano Manteiga, an immigrant to Tampa from Cuba, and later run by his son, Roland Manteiga (for whom a statue and historical marker was erected in nearby Ybor City). A third generation of the Manteiga family continues to publish the paper today.
The
Photographed By AGS Media, August 2, 2010
3. Gary Marker and La Gaceta
Photographed By AGS Media, August 2, 2010
4. Welcome to the Historic City of Gary
This sign stands along 7th Avenue, a few blocks east of the Gary historical marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,163 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 2, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
