Tag: cigars

This tremendous, 67,000 square feet, four story factory was originally built in 1908 for M. Stachelberg & Co. and the Esberg-Gunst Company. This building broke with convention and was constructed with a 50 foot width. Most factories were no wider than 45 feet as it was thought anything wider would have difficulties with consistent light […]

In 1895, the Bustillo Brothers cigar company moved from Havana, Cuba to West Tampa, They brought with them 120 workers.

The factory was built for the Berriman Cigar Co. in 1903. At Berriman’s peak it housed 700 workers. By 1910, Berriman outgrew this West Tampa building and moved to Ybor City.

In 1891, Salvador Rodriguez built the three story wooden building you see in the picture above. At the time, there were 200 windows for the factory workers so they would have enough light to sort cigars by color. “Charles the Great” was the only clear havana cigar with an English name.

This factory was purchased by Samuel L. Davis & Co in 1904. On October 2, 1910, the factory suffered major damage due to arson. In 1911, the factory was purchased by Balbin Brothers. In 1915, Balbin Bros Co. was acquired by Tampa Cuba Cigar Co and became a subsidiary.

In February 1908, Andres Diaz & Co moved into this building from New York. Regular cigar production began in May of 1908. At its peak, the factory employed 200 workers. A. Diaz closed it’s business in 1925.

The A. Santaella factory was built in 1904 after two other structures at this location were destroyed by fire. At the time it was one of the largest and well equipped factories in Ybor.

This three story cigar factory was built in 1897 and came into the Vicente Guerra Cigar Company’s possession in 1904. They did business here until 1943 as V. Guerra, Diaz & Company. Cigar Brands: La Mega, La Notica, La Copiosa