Working Americans, Visiting Tampa, National Park Services, Cuban Sandwich, and The Columbia Restaurant

“Working Americans” Book Series, Greyhouse Publishing:        

I just discovered this series of books that would be valuable for the American history and family history student or enthusiast.  I’m linking you to the publisher because if you scroll down you will see the titles of all the books in the series. There are ten volumes.  Click on the volume that interests you.  The book cover will appear in the top right.  On the top left of the page you will see a link “Table of Contents,” which will allow you to view the contents.

 Since these books are pricey at $145 most of us will want to check libraries for access to them. II believe they are worth the effort, because if you find them, you will have a resource that will add details to your histories and help you understand what your ancestors’ lives were like.  This would also be a great resource for writers.

Here is an example from the Table of Contents that will give you and idea of the kinds of material in these volumes.  Since this blog deals with Ybor City, and I assume you are looking for information about it, my example is about Cubans.  It's from Vol. 1, The Working Class. 

1912 Family Profile: Cuban Cigar Makers from Florida pg.129-141

   

    Annual Income

    Annual Budget

    Life at Home

    Life at Work, The Cigar Industry

    Life in the Community: Tampa and Ybor City, Florida

    Historical Snapshot 1912-1913

As you can see from this example, the material in the chapter is not massive so it would be a good place to start or a good place to go if you just want to add a few details. 

http://www.greyhouse.com/working.html

Now I’ve found this information, I’m going to make a trip up to the university library and check it out in person.  I'll get back with you.    

New Link List: “Visiting Tampa” 

In case you didn’t notice, I’m adding a new link list called Visiting Tampa. It is located at the bottom of the blog page.  These links will be to places, as a historian, you might like to visit if you ever go to Tampa, which I hope to do in a few months.  I actually lived in Tampa when I was in High School, but back then I knew little about my family history there, and even less about the history of the area.  You would think they would teach local history in high schools.  I never even knew who Henry Bradley Plant was, and my high school was named after him.  And he was a big deal in the history of the area.  So sad.  Anyway, I’m compiling a list of places I want to make sure I see.  I’m sharing them with you in case you  ever visit Tampa some day.  Even if you aren't of Cuban descent from there, they will be worth visiting as a historian.  

Added New Links:

Cigar History You can’t talk about Ybor City without talking about cigars, but this site has information about history, and about Cuba as well.

Lesson on Ybor City This is a really good lesson prepared for teachers to use about Ybor, which is short and has pictures.  If you want a good starting place to learn about the city, this is the one I first read when I started my journey into my family’s past in Ybor.

National Park Services--History

For the history researcher take a look at the National Park Services site. 
Tried linking directly to the Ybor City information, but something failed.  So I'm linking you to the main page, http://www.nps.gov/history/history/resedu/index.htm  Top left is links to the past search. Click and then on the top left is a box for entering in your search query.  Type in Ybor City, anything else you are looking for.  A couple things I learned from the site:


"Ybor City became Tampa’s 4th District in 1887, but retained its name and distinct identity as “Little Havana” for its prolific cigar production and high concentration of Cuban cigar makers." 

It also had the following information about the boundaries of Ybor City within Tampa:

“Roughly bounded by 6th Ave., 13th St., 10th Ave. and 22nd St., E. Broadway between 13th and 22nd Sts.”

This site has historical information for various subjects, so snoop around.  I know I would never have thought of going to the National Parks Service site for historical research.   

The Cuban Sandwich, History 

http://www.cigarcitymagazine.com/features/cuban-sandwich.html

Anyone who has been in Tampa or Ybor City knows about the Cuban Sandwich.  I wish I could provide you with a taste if you’ve never had the pleasure, but even if I could make one for you, I couldn’t.  I would need Cuban Bread, and I don’t know of anywhere to get real Cuban Bread, except in Tampa.  Without the Cuban Bread it’s just not a Cuban Sandwich!   So when you make that trip to Tampa, try to find one and let us all know where to get it.  Make sure you ask a Cuban.  If my Aunt Dalia were available she would be the one to who could make you one.  She has to be the best Cuban cook I know.  The only place coming close to her cooking is The Columbia Restaurant, the last link I added today in the Visiting Tampa list. 

The Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/   Not only can you taste some of the history of Ybor City, but you will be experiencing history.  The restaurant was started in 1905 by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr.  Even though there are now other locations, the place it started was Ybor City.  The address is 2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605.   Seventh Avenue was the main strip in Ybor, but that’s another story, for another day.  Check out the site for the history of the restuarant as well.  For the food lover, there is a cookbook you can buy on their site, but I just found it on Amazon for $16.47 (weird price again).  I have to to get one!  You really can’t understand your Cuban relatives in Ybor unless you eat the food! 

I tried getting recipes from my Aunt Dalia, but she hangs on to her secrets as only a Cuban can.. She once owned a small lunch “shack” and when she sold it I heard the new owner made her an enormous offer for her deviled-crab recipe, but she turned it down.  Sometimes Cuban tenacity is a pain.  

P.S. I just ordered the Cookbook.  An early birthday gift to myself.