From Cigars to Salsa: The Remarkable History of Ybor City Through the Ages
The history of Ybor City takes this Tampa neighborhood from humble beginnings to today’s nightlife hotspot. The story of the immigrants who built this part of Tampa acts a microcosm of many immigrant-built cities across the United States. Ybor City’s history is at once unique and a story told over and over the past two hundred years. A story of perseverance, community, and innovation.
Ybor City is often misspelled and mispronounced Ebo City or Eboard City. The name, however, originates with the neighborhood’s founder, Vicente Martinez Ybor, a cigar tycoon from Cuba who built the town for the benefit of his businesses and workers. Ybor and his city were among the first in the United States to provide the worker benefits (and many other benefits) we now consider standard.
From Wilderness to Boomtown
The history of Ybor City starts long before Ybor set foot in Tampa. Parts of Florida have been inhabited for more than 12,000 years. Archaeologists have found evidence of this in rivers, the muddy shores of ancient sinkholes which are now lakes, and along the coastal regions of the state. The Tampa Bay area, like many other coastal areas, saw Paleoindians migrate through it on a seasonal basis.
Early days and Native American presence
When Spanish explorers landed on the shores of Tampa Bay, at least three indigenous tribes lived here. The Tocobaga occupied much of Pinellas County to the west. The Uzita (Ucita) occupied the land to the south from present-day Bradenton to Sarasota Bay. The Mocoso live around the Alafia River and may have occupied land in present-day downtown Tampa. However, some archaeologists believe a fourth tribe, the Pohoy, occupied this part of Tampa Bay.
These indigenous people loosely spoke the same language and had similar customs and culture. They built mounds, including temple mounds, some of which are still standing and protected today. They also left behind shell middens, or trash mounds, which is where we have learned much of what we know about them.
Arrival of Spanish explorers and colonization
The first European known to arrive in the Tampa Bay area was Ponce de Leon who led an expedition to Florida’s west coast in 1513. In 1527, Panfilo de Narvaez landed near Tampa Bay and attempted to colonize the land, convert the natives, and find gold. All three objectives failed. Narvaez died in 1528 and only five of his 400 men survived.
Another expedition, led by Hernando de Soto, tried again in 1539 and landed in Uzita territory. This expedition found one of Narvaez’s men who had been captured and lived as an Indian for 11 years.
Each of these expeditions failed for the same reasons. The indigenous people refused to be converted to Catholicism, they fought back, and they often set the explorers on wild goose chases for gold and silver in other parts of the state. Of course, there is no natural gold or silver in Florida. These Europeans, however, would leave a deadly mark on the native people.
Growth of Tampa and the influence of the railroad
By the 17th century, most of the indigenous people around the Tampa Bay area had died out from disease. The area remained largely uninhabited for nearly 200 years. Native Americans from Georgia and the Carolinas fled to Florida, forming the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. These and Cuban fishermen occasionally camped on land around the bay to fish and smoke their catch before transporting it to other places.
In 1824, the United States established Fort Brooke in present-day downtown Tampa. The first railroad was Henry Plant’s South Florida railroad which arrived in Tampa in 1883, passing through what would become Ybor City and terminated at the waterfront.
Prior to the railroad, Tampa grew slowly. The residents often fought Yellow Fever epidemics and raids by Seminole Indians, especially during each of the Seminole Wars. The railroad, however, opened the town to new industries, goods, and people.
The Cigar Capital of the World
In the 1870s, as labor conditions deteriorated in many industrial American cities, Cubans who supported independence from Spain found themselves persecuted in Cuba and fled to Key West. Vicente Martinez Ybor, a successful cigar manufacturer in Cuba, was one of those people. Together with other Cuban and Spanish immigrants, he founded Ybor City in 1885.
The rise of the cigar industry in Ybor City
Ybor together with Eduardo Manrara, Gavino Gutierrez, Ignacio Haya, and Serafin Sanchez developed an industrial town northeast of Tampa which would cater to all of the needs of their workers.
Tampa was the perfect place for this; there was access by land via the railroad and by sea via Tampa’s port two miles away. The Tampa Board of Trade sought to attract investors to the isolated town. They put up $4,000, almost half of the price for the 40-acre tract Ybor and Company purchased. Ybor purchased an additional 50 acres while Haya also purchased a small piece of land.
Construction began on cigar factories in 1886. On April 13, 1886, the Sanchez y Haya cigar factory was the first to produce a cigar in Tampa. As word of Ybor City’s success spread to cigar manufacturers in other parts of the country, they began to open branches in Ybor City or move their entire operations from places such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.
Cigar factory contributions to the history of Ybor City
Ybor strove to keep his employees and their families happy. He built small houses – “casitas” – which he sold to his laborers at cost for as little as $750. Workers paid on installments, like a mortgage. Later, as operations expanded to other cities and other manufacturers adopted the practice, workers took their mortgage with them to be applied to a company house wherever they relocated.
Additionally, Ybor provided medical care and what was tantamount to insurance at the time. His factories generally paid up to three-quarters of the expense. Other benefits included coffee breaks with coffee roasters onsite to make it easy to get coffee. And they brought the tradition of el lector from Cuba. This was a person hired to read to the workers from a raised platform with the purpose of keeping them entertained.
Ybor’s company town differed from others around the country in other important ways, too. First, he believed that more work created an environment in which more workers were available. Thus, he encouraged other cigar makers to set up shop in his Ybor City. Second, he sold small plots of land to entrepreneurs, encouraging others to settle and open supporting businesses.
Impact of Cuban and Spanish immigrants
Cuban immigrants were among the first to move to Ybor City. Many held jobs as cigar makers in Key West and heard of the opportunities further north. In the early years, Ybor City was known as “Cuba Town”. Spanish immigrants also moved to Tampa from northern Spain where few opportunities could be found. Before long, Italians, Germans, and Jewish immigrants followed, each bringing their culture and unique skill sets.
With Cubans comprising the majority in Ybor City, the town became a haven for Cuban revolutionaries and their sympathizers. In the early 1890s, Jose Marti sought refuge as well as support in the neighborhood. The poet delivered several fiery speeches around town. One, delivered in 1893 on the steps of Ybor’s factory, was reprinted in newspapers around the US and Cuba and led directly to war.
Melting Pot of Cultures in Ybor City
In the first few years, the town was mostly occupied by young single men working in the cigar factories. Tampa had annexed the burgeoning town in 1887, making it Tampa’s Fourth Ward. By the 1890s, the population exploded, a melting pot of the many immigrants who sought to improve their fortunes in Ybor City.
Diversity of immigrant communities settling in Ybor City
In the 1890s, Italians began moving to Ybor City in search of work. Sicilians would leave an indelible mark on the neighborhood. Germans also moved to town in this decade, many of them businessmen who worked in the cigar factories as managers and bookkeepers. Though Jews had lived in Tampa since the 1860s, Romanian and other Eastern European Jews moved to Ybor City in the 1890s and set up businesses such as box factories and clothing stores.
Other nationalities and cultures also found work in the town. Many African-Americans lived in an area adjacent to Ybor City called “The Scrub”. They found work in the diverse community like many others. Chinese immigrants also moved here. Many had been slave laborers in Cuba and were freed when Cuba gained her freedom from Spain.
Interestingly, women found prominent places in Ybor City in roles which often pushed acceptable boundaries in other neighborhoods. Some married women ran boarding houses to supplement their husbands’ incomes. Many women also worked in cigar factories, often making more money than the men because their smaller hands were more adept at rolling cigars.
The development of cultural enclaves and neighborhoods
The residents of Ybor City faced discrimination from Tampanians, some for the color of their skin, others for their religious beliefs or nationality. Black Cubans and African-Americans were only able to find employment as cigar workers which often set them elbow to elbow with their white coworkers. In the late 1890, Black Cubans offered as much support to the Cuban revolution as white Cubans. Jews faced discrimination for their religious beliefs, Italians for their heritage and skin tone.
This segregation led to the development of mutual aid societies – “social clubs” – such as the Cuban Club, the Italian Club, and the German American Club. These clubs helped newly arrived immigrants gain their footing in the new country. They were also places for men to gather (women were not allowed except on rare occasions), and places where people of the same heritage could meet others like them.
The mutual aid societies also helped each other. For instance, if one had a need or a tragedy (fires were frequent), they all pitched in to help provide aid and services. Though Ybor City residents found discrimination outside of their neighborhood, they were quite tolerant within it.
Legacy of multiculturalism that endures today
This melting pot led to a fusion of cultures. The most notable is the Cuban sandwich. While Miami and Tampa each claim to be the birthplace of the world-famous sandwich, there is a distinct difference between the two. The Tampa Cuban contains genoa salami while the Miami Cuban does not. Most believe the addition of salami is a nod to the Sicilian immigrants which helped shape the history of Ybor City.
The Golden Age in the History of Ybor City
Ybor City’s heyday lasted from the early 1900s until the Great Depression. Immigration remained strong though now the immigrants saw Tampa as home rather than a temporary place to live and work. Cigar production earned Tampa prosperity and the nickname “Cigar City”, and Ybor City saw a boom of building and architecture which still survives today.
Boom and prosperity in the 1910s
Tabaqueros, especially torcedores (those who rolled the cigars) were thought of as artisans and enjoyed the status that came with being an artist. The tabaquero culture thrived on professionalism and excellence. These men and their families sought the finer things in life. Earning a very good wage, they could afford to support the shops in Ybor City and Tampa, bankrolling a lifestyle and economy which created a prosperous immigrant community.
During this time, Jewish builders and architects also constructed many of the brick buildings which still line 7th Avenue. They were responsible for much of the construction in Ybor City until the 1970s.
Ybor City During the Roaring Twenties
Like many parts of the United States, the Roaring Twenties brought an era of even more prosperity to Ybor City. By 1929, Ybor City’s cigar workers were rolling out 500,000,000 cigars annually. Despite this prosperity, or perhaps because of it, labor strikes ensued with many changes taking place in the cigar factories.
Social changes began to occur also. An illegal game, bolita, brought about an increase in organized crime. This led to other illegal activities such as bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution.
Decline during the Great Depression
The demand for cigars declined sharply during the Great Depression. As a result, many cigar factories closed. Those which remained open laid off large groups of employees. To survive, families plowed their yards and raised chickens, pigs, goats, and cows. The descendants of those chickens still roam the streets of Ybor City and are protected by law.
Post-war resurgence and modernization
World War II saw a further decline in demand for cigars. By this time, machines existed to roll cigars and perform other jobs which thousands of cigar workers had done before. Factories continued to close. Those which remained open turned to mechanization and kept it even after the war. Furthermore, many returning soldiers chose to leave the cities and settled in suburban areas.
Ybor City’s aging buildings – many were still the wooden structures from the 1890s and early 1900s – needed extensive repairs and modernization which many people could not afford to undertake. The neighborhood fell into decades of disrepair and earned a poor reputation.
Revitalization and preservation of Ybor City’s history
Starting in the 1980s Ybor City saw a push to revitalize and preserve its unique history and outstanding architecture. It’s one of only four historic districts in Florida which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the area surrounding 7th Avenue has been renovated and revitalized.
In the 1990s Ybor City began to see a shift from slum to salsa and other nightlife. Though a rough reputation still followed it for many years (and continues in some minds to this day), it has become a place where tourists come to experience everything that is so uniquely Ybor. From the free-roaming chickens to the elegant buildings, Ybor City continues to evolve and add to its history.
Must-Visit Landmarks in Historic Ybor City
There are so many things to do in Ybor City! It’s impossible to list them all here. However, if you only have one day in this beautiful neighborhood, here are the must-see places.
Centennial Park
Centennial Park is a 2.5 acre park beside the Ybor City Museum. Several statues and plaques commemorate the people who built Ybor City. Its place in the community is similar to a town square, where events are held or people visit to relax.
Ybor City Museum State Park
The Ybor City Museum State Park is former bakery which houses a treasure trove of photos and information about the history of Ybor City. An oak-shaded courtyard has several benches and tables where visitors can sit to enjoy the sound of the fountain, watch the chickens, or eat lunch. At the far side of the courtyard, a collection of casitas has been preserved. One is used by the museum for tours while the others are used by different non profit organizations for meetings.
The Columbia Restaurant
Florida’s oldest restaurant, Columbia first opened in 1905 to serve the Cuban community with a taste of home. The restaurant has been one of Florida’s top restaurants since 1967 and is consistently ranked as one of the most distinguished restaurants in North America. It is also the largest Spanish restaurant in the world, now occupying an entire city block, and is still operated by family members of the original owner.
A Last Look at the History of Ybor City
As we wrap up our journey through the history of Ybor City, we are left with a sense of awe at the captivating tales this neighborhood has to offer. From humble beginnings as a wild frontier to a vibrant melting pot of cultures, Ybor City’s story continues to evolve.
If you’ve considered visiting Ybor City but are wary of it’s previous tainted reputation, rest assured its as safe as any other part of Tampa, especially during the day. For history lovers, a visit to Ybor’s historic district is truly a mesmerizing step back in time. Spend a day and you’ll fall in love with it!
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