On July 15, 1887, Tampa was incorporated as a city. It was a moment which, 137 years ago, shaped the course of our modern day lives.
But how was life in the burgeoning city at the time?
- Between 1880 and 1890, Tampa’s population grew ~770%. The decade began with 720 inhabitants, and ended with 5,532.
- Ybor City’s cigar boom was just getting off the ground. Vicente Martinez Ybor made our area home in 1885, buying 40 acres of land to build a huge cigar factory. Other businessmen quickly followed suit and built their own.
- After a yellow fever outbreak in 1887 — with an estimated 1,000 local infections — folks became wary of contagion within close-quartered environments. Two years later, Tampa Heights became the city’s first residential suburb.
If you want to celebrate the Big Guava’s birthday, the city is hosting a range of free, history-focused events to honor the occasion.
