On April 13, 1886, a newly opened cigar company on 7th Avenue became the first place in Ybor City to roll a cigar. Hand-rolled cigars quickly became the primary industry in Tampa Bay, earning the community its nickname: Cigar City.
Over the next 30 years, more than 200 hundred cigar factories rose up across the region, employing tens of thousands of people and turning what had been a tiny town in 1884 into a major metropolis by the turn of the 20th Century. At its peak, the cigar industry produced more than 500 million cigars per year and Tampa Bay cigars could be found in pool halls, board rooms and palaces around the world.
You are standing at the site of America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker founded in 1885. It is the last working cigar factory in the city.
_________________________________________
In order to successfully log this virtual, you must complete these steps.
Please answer the questions below and send them to us via the geocaching messages feature:
1. Look at the stairs near the coordinates. How many layers of bricks make up the left front most pillar?
2. There is a plaque at the top of the stairs, what is the name of the building and when was it restored?
3. There is a plaque indicating a time capule to the right of the entrance along the wall. What date was the capsule buried?
4. There is a small park across the street. From the plaque to the right of the entrance complete the following sentence. "All who enjoy cigars...."
5. From the historical marker. What city did Julius C. Newman move his cigar company from?
Post a photo of yourself (face not needed) and the clock tower, with your GPSr/phone or you may also write your Geocaching user name on a piece of paper and include that in the photo.
Logs posted without completing the above instructions will be deleted.
_________________________________________
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.