TAMPAFLCRE.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
CITY HISTORY · TAMPA, FLORIDA

Tampa, Florida history, from the public record

Tampa's commercial story runs from an 1824 Army post to a railroad, a cigar industry, a deepwater port and a military air base. This page sets out that record from the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, the National Park Service, Port Tampa Bay and MacDill Air Force Base.[1]

Last updated · Published by Makayla Richardson, Commercial Real Estate Advisor

When was Fort Brooke established?

In 1824, according to the City of Tampa, "four companies of the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke to protect the strategic harbor."[1] Ten years later Hillsborough County was organized: "On Jan. 25, 1834, the U.S. Legislative Council for the Territory of Florida approved an act organizing Hillsborough" County.[3] The Tampa Bay History Center records that "That same year, 1834, Tampa was named the county seat of the newly created Hillsborough County."[4]

When was Tampa incorporated?

The City Clerk's incorporation history lists these steps.[2]

Tampa incorporation history (City of Tampa, City Clerk Archives)
YearStep, in the City Clerk's words
184914 men vote unanimously to establish Tampa Village with a trustee form of government.
1853Citizens vote to organize as the Town of Tampa with a Board of Trustee form of government.
1855 (December 15)Governor Broome signs Special Act of the Florida Legislature granting a charter for the City of Tampa.
1887 (July 15)Establishing the charter for the City of Tampa.

How did the railroad change Tampa?

The National Park Service credits Henry Plant, who "brought the railroad to Tampa in 1884."[5] His Tampa Bay Hotel was "Constructed between 1888 and 1891" and is in the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS 72000322).[5][6]

How did Ybor City become the cigar capital?

According to the National Park Service, "In 1885, Martínez-Ybor and Ignacio Haya, a friend and manufacturing peer, formed a partnership." The Park Service also describes "some of the 3,000 people already handcrafting cigars in their new factories." The Park Service calls Tampa the "Cigar Capital of the World."[7] The state historical marker dates the industry's start to 1886: "In 1886 two cigar factories were completed at Tampa signaling the founding of the industry."[9]

The industry did not last. "By the early 1950's the cigar factories were gone," according to the City of Tampa.[10] The Park Service records that a 1965 urban renewal project "demolished a large part of Ybor City."[7] The Ybor City Historic District is in the National Register (NRIS 74000641).[8]

How did the interstate change Tampa's business districts?

The City of Tampa writes that "Construction of I-4 and the urban renewal projects in the 1960s disrupted business and dislocated customers" along the historic Central Avenue business district.[11] The City's 2004 Ybor City redevelopment plan says "the new interstate cut through Ybor City, separating the northern area from the body of the neighborhood to the south."[12]

How did the Port of Tampa grow?

Port Tampa Bay traces its shipping history to the "cattle trade with Cuba," which "helped to put Tampa on the map." On June 11, 1945, "the Florida Legislature established the Hillsborough County Port Authority as the governing body and port authority of the Port of Tampa." The authority's first land was "the former McCloskey Shipyards, from the federal government." In 1955 the harbor channels were deepened "to a depth of 34 feet," a 1967 agreement for a phosphate terminal at Rockport moved to "remove the movement of unit trains of phosphate from downtown Tampa," and in 1970 Congress authorized work to "deepen the main shipping channel to 43-foot."[13]

When was MacDill Air Force Base established?

"In 1939, the War Department selected Tampa to receive one of several new military air fields," and "the base was established on 24 May 1939, with construction beginning on 6 September 1939," according to MacDill Air Force Base.[14][15] Today, the City of Tampa notes, "the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command are headquartered at" MacDill.[1]

What changed downtown under Mayor Bob Martinez?

The City Clerk's biography of Mayor Bob Martinez credits his administration with "significant renovation to downtown Tampa with the construction of new office buildings and high-rise residential apartments."[16]

Questions to ask before you buy or lease in Tampa

If you are weighing a building in Ybor City or another historic district, ask the City of Tampa what local rules apply before you buy or renovate, and order a current survey and title search.

If you are weighing a site near the port, the airport or MacDill, ask how those neighbors affect zoning, traffic and access for your use.

Looking at a building in Ybor City, downtown or near the port? Start with what the property is today.

Talk with Makayla

Questions people ask

When was Fort Brooke established in Tampa?

The City of Tampa's history records that in 1824 four companies of the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke to protect the harbor. Hillsborough County was organized in 1834, and the Tampa Bay History Center records that Tampa was named the county seat that year.

When was Tampa incorporated as a city?

The City Clerk's incorporation history lists Tampa Village in 1849, the Town of Tampa in 1853, a city charter signed on December 15, 1855, and the charter of July 15, 1887, according to the City Clerk's incorporation history.

Why is Ybor City called the cigar capital?

The National Park Service calls Tampa the Cigar Capital of the World. Martínez-Ybor and Ignacio Haya formed a partnership in 1885, and the state marker says two cigar factories were completed in 1886. The City of Tampa says the factories were gone by the early 1950s.

When was MacDill Air Force Base established?

MacDill Air Force Base says it was established on 24 May 1939, with construction beginning on 6 September 1939. The U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command are headquartered there, the City of Tampa notes.

Sources

  1. Tampa History, City of Tampa. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  2. City of Tampa Incorporation History, City of Tampa, City Clerk Archives. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  3. Hillsborough County History, Hillsborough County. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  4. Tampa Bay: body of water or regional identity?, Tampa Bay History Center. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  5. Tampa Bay Hotel, National Park Service. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  6. Tampa Bay Hotel (NRIS 72000322), National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  7. Ybor City Historic District, National Park Service. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  8. Ybor City Historic District (NRIS 74000641), National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  9. Historical marker: Ybor City, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  10. Ybor City history, City of Tampa. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  11. Perry Harvey Sr. Park, City of Tampa. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  12. Ybor City 2 Community Redevelopment Area plan, City of Tampa Department of Urban Development and Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission, May 17, 2004. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  13. Port Tampa Bay celebrates more than 75 years of service to the region, Port Tampa Bay, June 11, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  14. MacDill AFB history (Internet Archive capture), MacDill Air Force Base. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  15. MacDill AFB fact sheet (Internet Archive capture), MacDill Air Force Base. Accessed October 12, 2026.
  16. Previous mayors: Robert Martinez, City of Tampa, City Clerk. Accessed October 12, 2026.