History

Cuban cigars … made in Tampa? In the early 1880s Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a successful Cuban cigar maker in Havana, started looking for another place to open cigar factories.

It’s hard to believe there was ever a time when the Bay wasn’t connected to the rest of Florida and the world, with planes, trains and cars.

Imagine a world where it took five-hours by train, or a slow steamboat trip, to get from Tampa to St. Petersburg. Before 1914, that was reality.

The oldest restaurant in the entire state of Florida has another title to their name!

With Tom Brady’s first season as a Buccaneer around the corner, what shoes will he fill?

While American football can trace its roots back to the mid-1800s, the tradition of the tight, circular huddle began in 1892 to serve a very niche purpose.

Nestled outside of downtown St. Petersburg is a neighborhood that holds a lot of African American history. So much history, in fact, that 19 markers were designated to tell the neighborhood’s story on a fascinating walking tour called the African American Heritage Trail.

It’s difficult to imagine the Oxford Exchange was once anything other than marble floors and a limestone fountain, but the space is full of history.

Apalachicola resident Dr. John Gorrie was an early pioneer in the invention of the artificial manufacture of ice, refrigeration and air conditioning. He was granted the first United States patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851. Dr. Gorrie’s basic principle is the one most often used in refrigeration today: cooling caused by the rapid expansion of gases.

The City of Dunedin may have a small town feel but it carries big history, like its military manufacturing days in the 1940s.

Did you know Florida has both a state song and a state anthem?

If you like local lore or are a fan of Jim Morrison and The Doors, check out Bird Stevens’ book “Jim Morrison’s Clearwater Then and Now.”

At the height of their influence, Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall and Bill Clinton have all spoken at the pulpit of downtown Tampa’s St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church. Built in 1914, the church served as Tampa’s mecca for civil rights and faith.

Arcadia fruit picker James Richardson was convicted of poisoning his seven children in 1968 after the local sheriff and prosecutor conspired against him. He served 21 years in prison until hidden evidence came to light and he was released. Richardson then spent 25 years attempting to obtain compensation from the state of Florida for wrongful incarceration.

Historic tours, like the annual Buildings Alive! Ybor Architectural Hop, take visitors behind the scenes of Ybor City’s most storied buildings.

After sitting vacant for nine years, a historic hotel in Belleair is once again welcoming guests.

The movie “Green Book,” which earned three Golden Globes, depicts African American pianist Don Shirley following a guidebook to find motels that would admit him while traveling in the 1960s.

Fenway Hotel, Dunedin’s most historic building, is alive again.

Several historic home tours are coming to the Tampa Bay area, providing a fun afternoon seeing homes that tell a story.

Bill Graham’s life was anything but typical. The music promoter worked with everyone from the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead to Santana and Jefferson Airplane.

Now called Casa Oliva, the stately building at 2008 N. 19th St., used to be one of the oldest cigar factories in Ybor City. The building once housed hundreds of cigar-rolling workers sitting at rows and rows of tables, but now it contains 38 apartments.

Labor Day gives us a day off to relax and spend with friends or family. But most people probably aren’t aware of the holiday’s violent origins.

Want to learn Ybor City’s history? Take the Tampa Bay History Center’s guided walking tour.

Many of us have enjoyed the sand and surf at Honeymoon Island, but might not know how the white sandy beach got its name.

Walk into a world encompassing old Tampa charm, early 20th-century jazz and dazzling interior decoration at the Floridan Palace Hotel.

The National Archives has launched a Citizen Archivist program, enlisting virtual volunteers to improve the accessibility of its records.

Tradition is important to Chris Salgado and Julissa Orama, so when Julissa’s parents could no longer run El Gallo de Oro, their West Tampa family restaurant, it seemed natural for the young couple to take over.

Tarpon Springs is internationally known for its sponge docks, developed by experienced Greek divers in the late 1800s.

Many know that soul music originated from Memphis’ Stax Records and Detroit’s Motown, but did you know it has Florida roots, too? In fact, the famed dance “The Twist” got its start in Tampa.

When thinking of Labor Day you often picture picnics, barbecues and parades. However, Labor Day, celebrated the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to social and economic achievements of American workers.