Pioneer of the Cigar Industry in Florida and Founder of Ybor City

Born in Valencia, Spain on September 7, 1818 and died in Ybor City on December 14, 1896 and buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in downtown Tampa.

In 1853 at an early age the adventurous Spaniard left his native land and traveled to Cuba which was under the dominance of Spain and where he established his first cigar factory and produced the world renowned "El Principe De Gales" ("The Prince of Wales") brand.

Due to his support for Cuban independence from Spain in 1868 he had to flee Cuba and move to Key West where he opened another factory and continued to manufacture "El Principle De Gales" brand.

In 1885 at the age of 68 he purchased 90 acres of palmetto and scrub pine flats in the hamlet of Tampa and transformed them in 1886 into the city of his dreams that would bear his name. Other prominent cigar manufacturers joined Ybor and eventually Tampa became known as "The Cigar Capital Of The World."

Upon his death the Tampa Weekly Times wrote on December 17, 1896 the following:

"Don Vicente Martinez-Ybor is dead. One of Tampa's greatest benefactors and this country's most prominent and successful businessman."

Marker is on East 7th Avenue, on the right when traveling west.

Courtesy hmdb.org

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