Tampa is home to the Gasparilla Pirate Festival named after legendary pirate Jose Gaspar. The festival along with its 3 main parades are quite a sight to witness! The festival began in 1904 when the story of the hidden treasure of Jose Gaspar…

The founder of La Gaceta, Victoriano Manteiga, migrated from Cuba to Tampa in 1913. After nine years as a cigar factory reader, Victoriano founded La Gaceta, which at the time was a Spanish daily newspaper. Eventually the newspaper was passed down…

The City of Tampa has been living and breathing since it became incorporated US territory in 1845, however, although Tampa has this deep and rich history the city has only had an archives and records department since 1987. The development of such a…

When the Columbia first opened its doors in Ybor City, it began as a corner cafe known for its coffee and Cuban sandwiches. When prohibition threatened the future of the Columbia, Hernandez merged his restaurant with his neighbor, the La Fonda…

For a portion of the twentieth century, the Italian Mafia had a foothold in Ybor. Among the criminal activities practiced in the city was the operation of the illegal lottery game known as “Bolita”. In this game, little numbered balls were mixed in…

L’Unione Italiana, or The Italian Club, was founded in 1894 as a mutual-aid society for its Italian members. Its first president, Bartolo Filogamo, was the first Italian cigar manufacturer. When it started, the club had only 107 members. By November…

The original idea conceived by Bertha Honoré Palmer, usually referred to as Mrs. Potter-Palmer, was to see the Temple Terrace area developed into a gold community surrounded by extensive citrus groves. After her death in 1918 and the subsequent sale…

Originally situated at 914 River Hills in Temple Terrace, the D. Collins Gillett house was the largest and most palatial of the original 8 buildings erected in the 1920's. Built in 1922-1923 by architect M. Leo Elliot the Gillett house was a…

Situated on the top of the hill on Sleepy Hollow Avenue is the Cody Fowler House. The home was built in 1922- 1923 by architect M. Leo Elliot; the domed roof can be seen in several of his builds. (example photo 2) The home is considered part of the…

Henry B. Plant’s influence in the hotel business extended beyond the Tampa Bay Hotel. Although the site of his Tampa endeavor now holds a museum of his namesake, Plant actually built or bought eight distinct hotels in the Tampa area and further…