Florida may not have been as prominent as other Southern states during the Civil War, but they were still an important part of the Confederacy due to one very important resource. Throughout the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces squared off…

One of the major Union objectives as the Civil War progressed was to blockade the Southern coasts to keep Confederate ships from providing vital supplies to their army. Initially, Egmont Key did not receive much attention from the Union. While there…

With most of the Mississippi region under Union control by 1863, the Confederates lost an important source for their beef supply. This presented a massive threat to the Confederate Army’s efficiency as a fighting force. With this setback,…

A local story suggests that the Cuban Revolution started in Tampa. In 1895, Jose Martí, a Cuban Revolutionary leader nicknamed the “George Washington of Cuba”, was said to have tasked Blas O’Halloran, a cigar maker, with an important job. Martí…

On the corner of 7th Avenue in the heart of Ybor City stands a steakhouse called Carne. If you were to travel back in time, that same building with the scarlet red bricks would have had a different and more important purpose. For decades, the…

Ignacio Haya’s entrepreneurship in the cigar business made him a true pioneer, not only for the tobacco industry in the United States, but as a leader in real estate, enterprise, and a large contributor to the city and region of Tampa. Born in…

Though Ybor City does not bear their names, Ignacio Haya and Serafin Sanchez were every bit as significant to the development of the city as Vincente Martinez Ybor himself. Without the investment of these two lifelong friends, the entire history of…

The Cigar Makers International Union announced its push for recognition at the Labor Temple on 8th Avenue, on June 29, 1910. Angelo Leto, a Union member, declared that the manufacturers were forcing cigar makers to strike by not recognizing their…

The struggle between factory owners and factory workers was constant in the early 20th century. In Tampa, immigrant workers were educated through lectores, or readers in their factory, and sought to gain more leverage and recognition by joining…

Regarded as “a wonderland of beauty” in a Tampa Tribune headline, Macfarlane Park has served the West Tampa community since opening day on April 25, 1909. Macfarlane Park was envisioned as a woodland resort for all of West Tampa and the…