Ybor City Story
The Cigar Capital of the World
The pictures of this article are from Tampa Through Time Portal, presented by USF Libraries.
The Rights statement and Sources links belong to Digital Commons @ University of South Florida.
Most of them in this portal are from Burgert Brothers photographic firm.
Burgert Brothers was Tampa's leading commercial photographic firm from 1917 to the early 1960s. Established by brothers Al and Jean, the studio focused primarily on photographing the Tampa Bay area, including Ybor City, Port Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Ballast Point. The Burgert Brothers' photographs captured Tampa's development from small town to major city and include images of daily activities, festivals, churches, homes, businesses, and streets.
Introduction: The Smoke That Built a City
In the 19th century, in the eastern part of central Tampa, Florida, a special and unique city began to be built and created.
Its name was Ybor City, a story of immigrants, a rising industry, and a cultural identity that would become known as the "Cigar Capital of the World," a cultural identity that produced half a billion cigars annually and established itself as a powerful manufacturing hub with strong, vibrant communities.
It was a mix of Spanish, Cuban, Italian and Afro-Cuban influences, functioning as an autonomous city where workers, artists, radicals and dreamers created strong groups and communities whose streets echoed
the rhythm of three languages, the sounds of cigar molds, and the ideals of revolution.
Today, its red brick facades and wrought iron balconies still whisper stories of exiles, artisans and dreamers who transformed tobacco into prosperity and development.
I. Vicente Martínez-Ybor and the Birth of a Vision
The history of Ybor City is shaped by a businessman named Vicente Martínez-Ybor (1818 – 1896), a Spanish descent who had already made his fortune in Cuba.
He was born in 1818 in Valencia, Spain.
A restless young man with strong ambitions like many young Spaniard.He saw Cuba - the jewel of the Spanish Caribbean empire - as a land of great opportunity. At twenty he went to Havana where he learned the cigar trade and quickly excelled in the business world.
Cigars were the pride of Cuba, hand-rolled from the island's lush Vuelta Abajo tobacco.
By 1853, he had established his own brand, La Flor de Ybor, which had become a successful Cuban export.
Vincente Martinez Ybor's Cigar Factory-1887
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The political unrest that prevailed at that time among Cuban supporters demanding their freedom from Spain attracted the interest of Ybor, who did not hide his sympathy for their struggle.
When authorities in the 1860s began targeting suspects for their revolutionary struggle, Ybor – although loyal to his homeland – was accused of aiding the rebels.
In 1869, facing arrest and imprisonment, he fled and settled in Key West, Florida. There he joined many Cuban expatriates who had great knowledge and skill in cigar rolling and production.
Key West was close to Cuba, a small but growing outpost for Cuban cigar manufacturers. An area that provided security for Cuban exiles but not stability as it presented many disadvantages:
It was isolated, labor costs were high, and frequent fires destroyed several factories that were made of wood. All of these factors made expansion and further development for large-scale cigar production almost impossible.
Cuban workers leaving Key West by Spanish ships after the fire of April 1886.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Despite the adversity, Ybor rebuilt his brand and helped make Key West the premier cigar manufacturing center in the United States.
But Ybor wanted to achieve much more than a successful factory.
He wanted to create a self-sustaining community that would provide workers with growth, security, and stability.The standard of living would be decent, there would be homes and communities, and it would be a thriving area. A place with good weather, affordable land, and access to both labor and transportation.
I.1. A New Frontier: Tampa
In 1885, Tampa was a tiny port city of just 1,000 residents. That year, railroad magnate Henry B. Plant extended his rail and steamship lines across Tampa Bay, connecting the Gulf Coast to national markets.
Ybor saw before him an area where his dream could develop where everyone else saw swamps and bushes.
He purchased 40 acres of land northeast of Tampa for $9,000 and soon expanded to more than 200 acres.
To oversee the development, he teamed up with another cigar maker, Ignacio Haya, and a group of investors. A young Cuban financier, Eduardo Manrara, was also by his side and became a trusted member of Ybor's firm.Another friend of Ybor, Gavino Gutiérrez - Wikiredia | Gavino Gutierrez - also became Ybor City’s architect and construction foreman. Their vision was bold: to build a planned industrial city dedicated entirely to cigar production—a “city within a city.”
I.2. Building Ybor City
Construction began immediately. By 1886 Ybor City had risen from the ground—entire neighbourhoods sprouted from red-brick factories, small wooden houses for workers, cottages, shops, a hotel, and a streetcar line to downtown Tampa.
They created not just simple workplaces but a city within a city built and designed to attract specialized personnel for the production of cigars from Havana and Key West.
Thousands of skilled Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants came to the city. Along with their families and their traditions they also brought the hope of a better life.
They expected a steady salary but they didn't find just that – they found much more, a home. Within a decade, the area grew - full of life - with a population exceeding 10,000.
A city where everyone breathed the sweet smell of processed tobacco.
7th Avenue in Ybor City
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
I.3. Industrial Genius with a Human Touch
As a character, Ybor was a man of high intelligence not only in business but also in his ability to properly develop an urban fabric that functioned for the benefit of the people surrounding it.
Where in other areas factory owners exploited immigrant labor to the fullest, Ybor, with dedication and selflessness, provided stability and dignity.
He sold the workers their homes at low interest rates, ensuring equal stability with the aim of creating a standard of living that would have roots and duration.
The factories were a mixture of European craftsmanship with American industrial organization. The lighting was correct and sufficient with very good ventilation, while providing the role of the lecturer who was the soul of the factory - a reader hired by the workers to sit on a platform and read aloud from newspapers, novels, and political pamphlets – this environment generated not only cigars but also ideas, transforming the factory space into a working-class university.
Cigar Makers and the Lector at Cuesta Rey and Company Factory
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
Ideas of democracy, independence and equality that shaped the character of the city of Ybor for many generations.
The cigar factories were the heart of it all. The largest - like El Reloj, the clock factory of the J.C. Newman Cigar Company - became icons of craftsmanship.
Inside, rows of workers, known as torcedores, produced cigars from the finest Cuban tobacco. Each roller was a craftsman, producing hundreds of cigars a day with practiced precision.
III. The Melting Pot of the South
Ybor City was not only an industrial city but had developed a multicultural uniqueness with a diverse and inclusive identity.
Cuban Influence
Many Cuban immigrants, many of whom were political exiles, identified with the revolutionary spirit that had developed in the city through their actions.
They created clubs that had a patriotic impact, such as El Club Nacional Cubano, which became focal points for discussions and fundraising for the Cuban independence movement.
Ybor City's Cuban Club at 2010 14th Street-1902
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The Club Today: The Cuban Club
In the 1890s, José Martí – a well-known revolutionary and poet who had been described as the “Apostle of Cuban Independence” – visited Ybor City and was welcomed as a hero.
In the local cigar lounges where his speeches were held, his fiery speech inspired many workers, rallied the exile community, and helped raise funds for the Cuban cause.
Spanish and Italian Communities
Spanish immigrants, mainly from Asturias and Galicia, brought Old World traditions with the and a passion for craftsmanship.
The Centro Español De Tampa Building in Ybor City
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The Club Today: Centro Espanol de Tampa
Italian immigrants, mainly from Sicily, opened grocery stores, bakeries, and cafes, creating new flavors and products - pasta, espresso, and fine wines - that easily and successfully blended with the gastronomic culture of Ybor.
Italian Club on 7th Avenue in Ybor City
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The Club Today: L’Unione Italiana Club
Afro-Cuban and Black Communities
Afro-Cubans and African Americans played a vital role in the city's cultural life and also had a significant presence in factories and cigar production.
Sociedad La Union Marti Maceo
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The Club Today: Sociedad La Union Marti Maceo
Despite the racial segregation of the Jim Crow South (the racial segregation in the US where blacks were not allowed to be on the same buses, schools, and public facilities as whites), Ybor City fostered a climate of respect and cooperation among all communities of color that was rarely found elsewhere at the time.
Companies like La Unión Martí-Maceo helped communities and provided healthcare, education, and social connections to workers who were cut off from white and Latino organizations.
IΙΙ.1. Mutual Aid and the Birth of a Community
Life in Ybor City was centered around community-aided societies, or so-called sociedades mutualistas.
They were community organizations that provided medical care, insurance, and social support long before state welfare.
Among the most important were:
- El Centro Español (founded 1891) — serves Spanish immigrants.
- El Centro Asturiano (1902) — for Spaniards from the Asturian region
Centro Asturiano de Tampa on Nebraska Avenue, April 6, 1926
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
- L'Unione Italiana (1894) — for the Italian community.
- La Unión Martí-Maceo (1900) — for Afro-Cuban workers.
Each community created its own elegant club, a complex that included theaters, libraries, and clinics.
Large ballrooms were built and operas, dances, and celebrations were held there, giving Ybor City its rich cultural rhythm.
Centro Asturiano - Delegacion de Tampa, March 18, 1928
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
All of these centres were not simple social clubs but something much more – they kept immigrant communities together.
Sanitario Del Centro Espanol at 3100 Bayshore Boulevard, 1923
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
Education also evolved, with schools teaching in both English and Spanish. Newspapers such as La Gaceta, which is still published today, chronicled the life of the community in three languages - Spanish, English and Italian.
Sanitario Centro Asturiano on 21st Avenue-1927
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
IV. The Boom Years: Smoke, Prosperity, and Pride.
By the early 20th century, Ybor City had become the cigar capital of the world and its name became synonymous with quality, excellence, and supremacy.
At its peak, over 200 cigar factories produced half a billion cigars a year.
Cuesta, Rey & Co. Cigar Factory in South Tampa-1912
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
Its economy boomed and its fame spread beyond the United States.
Ybor City cigars – handmade, hand-rolled with precision and passion – were prized by presidents, businessmen and celebrities.
Perfecto Garcia Bros. Cigar Factory on 16th Street in Ybor City
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
The words “Tampa Cigar” became synonymous with quality and craftsmanship.
Ybor City was now characterized as a hub of progressive thought. The early labor movement gained strength and voice, led by cigar workers whose Cuban ancestry involved traditions of activism and enduring struggles.
Seidenberg & Co. Cigar Factory Sanchez and Haya Cigar Factory
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
As workers continually demanded better working conditions and wages, boycotts and strikes were common practice.
The city streets were always lively and the sounds of debate and chanting were often passionate and sometimes tense.
F. Lozano Son & Co. Factory No. 9 on 4th Avenue and 21st Street in Ybor City
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
Although it was a city of constant stimulation - of new challenges and possibilities - it always remained a city of opportunities.
Immigrants who came to this city were able, through hard work and community support, to create and build a stable life. Many second-generation Ybor residents became doctors, lawyers, and businessmen - a testament to the city's social mobility.
Carl Upmann, Inc., Havana Cigars Factory, September 1, 1926
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
V. The Great Decline
By the 1930s, Ybor's golden age was slowly fading.
The Great Depression hit the cigar industry hard. Economic hardship led to a sharp decline in demand for premium cigars. Mechanization replaced hand-rolling, eliminating thousands of skilled jobs.
Later, the Cuban embargo cut off access to the high-quality tobacco that had defined Ybor's products. Many factories closed and many families left the city in search of work elsewhere.
Urban renewal projects in the 1960s and 1970s further destroyed the city's uniformity and structure. Freeways cut through Ybor City, dividing communities and eliminating entire blocks of historic homes.
By the 1970s, Ybor was a memory of its former self – its once bustling streets now silent.
VI. The Revival: From Decay to Cultural Renaissance
Ybor City is not dead.
In the 1980s and 1990s, artists and preservationists began to revive the beauty and tradition that once existed in this city.
Many old brick buildings and warehouses were restored and renovated into galleries, restaurants, and nightclubs.
The city's architectural history was designated a National Historic Landmark, protecting its heritage and making it a magnet for tourists and creators once again.
Companies like J.C. Newman Cigar Co., which still operates from its original El Reloj factory, have kept the tradition of hand-rolling alive. New boutique cigar makers have opened their doors, catering to connoisseurs who want to experience Ybor’s heritage firsthand.
Today, visitors strolling along Seventh Avenue (La Séptima) - once the heart of Ybor City - can still catch the faint scent of smoke wafting from the cigar shops.
Streetcars connect Ybor with downtown Tampa, while cafes serve Cuban sandwiches and café con leche, and roosters – descendants of those kept by the first residents – roam freely through the city streets, symbols of the enduring spirit of the communities that existed.
Ybor's revival has also reignited its multicultural energy. The annual Guavaween Festival, a playful Latin-inspired Halloween celebration, brings tens of thousands of people to its streets.
The Fiesta Day parade honors the city's immigrant heritage, while the Cuban Sandwich Festival pays tribute to its most famous culinary invention.
VII. The Legacy of the Cigar Capital
The Ybor City example is not just a story of economic development – it is a story of strength within a multitude of diverse communities, resilience, creation and growth, and identity formation.
It is one of the most compelling examples of urban development driven by immigrants.
People from different nations came together not only to work, but to build a common life. They created their own institutions, preserved their languages, and passed on traditions that continue to shape Tampa's culture to this day.
Ybor's legacy also lies its influence on American labor and politics. The cigar workers' passion for reading and debate fostered a culture of literacy and activism that helped shape the labor movements of the early 20th century.
The tradition of lecturers - although banned by some factory owners - remains a powerful symbol of spiritual empowerment among workers.
Even the cigars themselves carry symbolic weight. Each hand-rolled cigar represents not only craftsmanship, but a marriage of art, industry and heritage. The tobacco that once connected Cuba, Spain and Florida continues to unite their stories with every puff.
7th Avenue Viewed from 14th Street, October 10, 1927
Photo Credit: Burgert Brothers Studio
VIII. Ybor Today: Past Meets Present
In the 21st century, Ybor City is at a crossroad, trying to balance heritage and preservation with progress. New housing developments and tech startups share the city's space with social clubs and old cigar factories with a rich history.
Its nightlife draws crowds from all over Tampa Bay, while its history attracts visitors from all over the world.
Despite these new-age stimuli, challenges remain – rising rents and relentless modernization bring to the fore a new threat, the permanent displacement of residents and small businesses.
Preservationists are fighting to protect the historic structures from demolition, but the spirit of Ybor—that blend of old-world pride and new-world ambition—endures.
Modern Ybor is a living museum where the history of its past is not recorded on plaques or in written records but exists in the daily lives of its residents and is constantly revived.
It is engraved and remains like a bygone era on the brick walls, in the sound of salsa music that resonates and is carried in the air, in the laughter that is heard from an old Centro Español dance hall.
Gateway to Ybor City on 7th. Avenue
Photo Credit: Wikiredia
IX. The Smoke Never Dies
As night falls over Ybor City, the neon lights of Seventh Avenue flicker brightly with life. The aromas of espresso, rum, and rich tobacco waft through the air.
At the threshold of a cigar lounge, an old torcedor skillfully rolls a leaf between his fingers - the same way it has been done for over a century.
He lights it, takes a slow puff and smiles.
As the first curl of smoke rises, not only its aroma rises but it carries with the memory of Ybor with it. For a moment, time folds back – the lecturer's voice returns, the trams rumble past, José Martí raises a glass, the heart of this city still beats and its smoke continues to rise.
Around him, the city lives on — older, wiser, but still burning with the same flame that lit it in 1886. Ybor City may no longer be the industrial powerhouse it once was, but its spirit of craftsmanship, community, and cultural pride continues to inspire.
It’s a reminder that cities, like cigars, are made — shaped by many hands, seasoned by time, and meant to be enjoyed.
A small Florida neighbourhood that once went down in history as “The Cigar Capital of the World.”
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Important Notice
"This article features names, historical events, external links and additional references about the story of Ybor City, the Cigar Capital of the World.
If any of the prominent figures mentioned in this article do not wish to be included, please contact via email
Edited by Marios Krokos
Industrial designer