Ybor City:
Cigar Capital of the World

(Burgert Bros. Collection, Tampa­Hillsborough County Public Library System) Walk down Seventh Avenue in Ybor City (now a section of Tampa, Florida) and feel yourself transported to a place in another time. Brick streets are lined with sidewalks of hexagonal concrete pavers and old-fashioned, cast-iron street lamps. Buildings present ornate porticos, decorative brickwork, handmade wrought-iron balconies, and ornamental tile work. A few small, plain workers' cottages, once home to Ybor City's cigar workers, have been preserved. Mutual aid society clubhouses indicate the importance of benevolent organizations to Ybor City's immigrant population. On a quiet corner lies a small park dedicated to Cuban poet and revolutionary José Martí. The park is a reminder of Martí's efforts to gain support for the cause of Cuban freedom in the 1890s. These historic sites speak of Ybor City's intriguing past.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Florida and Cuba Determining the Facts: Readings 1. The History of Ybor City 2. Ybor City's Cigar Workers/ Cigar Manufacturing Details 3. Ybor City, José Martí, and the Spanish-American War Visual Evidence: Images 1. Ybor Cigar Factory, c. 1886-90 2. Cigar workers' houses 3. Cigar factory workers at Ybor Factory, 1925 4. L'Unione Italiana, 1919 5. Circulo Cubano, 1926 6. Centro Asturiano, 1925 7. Centro Asturiano, 1920s Putting It All Together: Activities 1. Describing Ybor City 2. The Immigrant Experience 3. Local Community History Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP This lesson is based on Ybor City, a National Historic Landmark District, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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