Tampa’s First Cigar Factory

On April 13, 1886, workers at the Sanchez y Haya cigar factory rolled the first cigars made in Tampa using “clear Havana” tobacco. The factory’s opening marked an early milestone in the development of Ybor City, where cigar manufacturing would transform the economy and character of the surrounding area.

Owned by Ignacio Haya and Serafín Sánchez, the business was licensed by the state of Florida as Factory No. 1. Its distinction belongs alongside the better-known story of Vicente Martínez Ybor, whose manufacturing plans helped establish the community. Tampa’s cigar industry grew through the investment of several manufacturers and the skilled labor of the people they employed.

“Clear Havana” referred to cigars made entirely from Cuban tobacco. Producing them in Florida connected Cuban agriculture and cigar-making traditions with manufacturing and trade in the United States. The finished product depended on workers whose experience and craftsmanship gave the industry its reputation.

By the end of its first year, the Sanchez y Haya factory was producing 500,000 cigars per month. That output demonstrates how quickly manufacturing expanded during Ybor City’s formative years, bringing employment and supporting the businesses that served factory workers and their families.

The industry drew immigrants who established homes, shops, and community organizations around the factories. Their presence helped turn a manufacturing settlement into a neighborhood with enduring cultural institutions and international connections.

The marker at the factory site records a specific beginning within that larger history. Before Tampa became widely associated with cigars, workers at Sanchez y Haya were already building that reputation, one hand-rolled cigar at a time.