A little bit of Cigar history.

[El Presidente]

A nice little bit of history. 

To me, history is one of my favourite parts of the cigar world.

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http://www.jacksonville.com/opinion/20180513/downtown-column-jacksonville-remains-floridas-cigar-capital

 

By Ennis Davis

Posted May 13, 2018 at 2:01 AM

 

  

Downtown’s days as a Cuban cigar manufacturing center

Tampa has long marketed itself as the Cigar City.

Key West promotes itself as once being known as the “Cigar Capital of the World.”

While Jacksonville continues to ponder if it even has an image, the city has an even better claim to being a cigar capital.

A late 1860s rebellion against Cuba’s Spanish colonial government placed Havana’s cigar manufacturing industry in turmoil, causing thousands of Cubans to immigrate to other countries. Seeking to market authentic Cuban cigars in America while avoiding high tariffs from Havana and Spanish trade restrictions, many emigres found Jacksonville to be an attractive location for the processing of tobacco. At the time, the city was the terminus of six railroads, home to a 24-foot deep river channel, and considered the American gateway to Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas.

By 1895, the city had become home to thousands of immigrants and several factories. With names such as Dzialynski, El Perfecto, M. Fritot and I. Hernandez, most were clustered within walking distance of Bay Street in the vicinity of Broad and Liberty streets.

The largest, Gabriel Hidalgo-Gato’s El Modelo, employed 225, producing 100,000 hand-rolled cigars a week under brands such as El Modelo, La Tropica, Hamlet, La Capitolio, El Deleite and Florida Alligator.

However, Hidalgo-Gato’s brother-in-law, City Council member José Alejandro Huau, may have been the most popular cigar factory owner in town. With annual sales of $200,000, the C.M. de Huau and Company, employed 150 workers in a three story West Bay Street building. Also, Huau’s well-stocked cigar store was said to be one of the finest in the city.

With the assistance of Huau, Cuban national hero José Martí visited the city eight times between 1891 and 1895. Seeking to stir up enthusiasm and financial support for Cuba’s freedom, on Dec. 23, 1893, Martí received a large ovation from Cuban workers after a fiery speech at Hidalgo-Gato’s El Modelo. When the country entered the Spanish-American War in 1898, Camp Cuba Libre was established in Springfield, serving as a rallying point for 31,000 soldiers.

 

Nevertheless, Jacksonville’s days as a major center for Cuban immigrants were numbered. After Cuba obtained independence, many residents returned to the island. Also Tampa had become Florida’s dominant cigarmaking city. To attract skilled workers to his factory, Vicente Martinez Ybor developed a company town where employees could own homes. To increase the available pool of workers, he also encouraged other manufacturers to move in by offering cheap land and free buildings. Organized unions also demanded closing operations in Jacksonville as a part of negotiations to avoid Tampa labor strikes.

Ultimately, Jacksonville would have the last laugh. In 1924, Mayor John Alsop convinced John Swisher, the first manufacturer to install cigar making machinery, to consolidate his 22 Ohio-based cigar factories into one large factory in Jacksonville. Mechanization allowed Swisher to prosper during the Great Depression by producing millions of cigars and offering them at a cheaper price than their competitors. By the 1930s, Swisher’s workforce had grown to 3,000 and the Jacksonville factory had become the largest in the world. A 1959 article in the Miami Herald proclaimed, “One machine displaces 20 workers. A fast, good man can make 125 cigars a day; a machine turns out 4,000 a day.”

Unable to compete, many of Tampa’s cigar companies closed. What was left was then crushed with the United States embargo against Cuba in 1961. Today, due to promotion of its local heritage and history, Tampa is still recognized as the Cigar City. However, only one small factory, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, remains in business. On the other hand, Jacksonville’s Swisher is the world’s largest in terms of size and production.

Ennis Davis is a certified urban planner, a graduate of Florida A&M University and a past citizen member of the Times–Union Editorial Board.

 

 

[Alexw33]

Interesting read. To me, one of the great parts of this hobby is how steeped in history and tradition it is. Not always pleasant history but then again history rarely is.

[anacostiakat]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[Riverstyx]

As a Jacksonville local, this was an interesting read!  Unfortunately, cigars are not a big part of the culture here.  With that said, I did find a friend on FOH and we get together weekly for a smoke.

 

[luv2fly]

Lived in Jacksonville for 8 years (during and after college) and I never knew anything out this.  Interesting article.

[BellevilleMXZ]

Huh......I was just there, and I wasn't aware of that!

[Jimmy_jack]

8 railroads, yep. Every time I have to go there that all I think of...railroads. Lakeland has warehouses, Orlando has theme parks and Jacksonville has railroads. 

Good read.