November 17, 1996

Cigar Manufacturing At Punta Gorda Went Up In Smoke

The manufacture of cigars was an early and continuing business in Punta Gorda, but it went up in smoke -- no pun intended.

The smoking of "stogies" was almost universal among men before the turn of the century. The best cigars -- costing 10 cents to 20 cents -- were made by Cubans at Key West from imported leaf.

A disastrous fire there in 1886 sparked a move to the Florida mainland and close to railroad terminals. Florida seaports were a favorite location because the heat and humidity kept tobacco leaves pliable.

The Florida Southern Railway coincidentally reached its southernmost terminal, at Punta Gorda, as the Key West cigar business migration began. However, there was not yet an inhabited town there.

Ybor City east of Tampa, terminus of the Henry B. Plant System railroad, was the first relocation for Cuban cigar makers. Agitation there for a labor union led cigar company owners to continue their search for more favorable business conditions.

Seeking to capitalize on this unrest in 1889 were two Bartow men. Willard Emerson was president of the Polk County Bank. Warren Tyler a financier.

They proposed a factory at Punta Gorda, by then a thriving community with a branch of the Polk County Bank in the store of Stephen P. Hinkley.

The manufacture of cigars began in a small way sometime before February 19, 1890. The weekly "South Florida News," published at Charlotte Harbor Town, on that date carried the following ad:

"S.P. HINCKLEY -- Wholesale dealer in grain, hay, salt, heavy groceries. Also manager of the Polk County Bank branch and El Palmetto Cigar Factory. Warehouse and wharf in Bay convenient to all steamers and boats. Office on Marion Ave. back of Hotel Punta Gorda. My new schooner, "Lizzie M. Eells" now makes regular trips between Punta Gorda and Mobile to merchants only."

The name of the cigar maker in Hinckley's store is unknown, but it may have been one of the Cubans who came to Punta Gorda a month or two earlier.

It is likely that Albert W. Gilchrist -- the engineer who built the roadbed for Florida Southern and then resigned to speculate in land at Punta Gorda -- was privy to the proposal because he began to recruit Cuban cigar makers.

Deed records disclose that Gilchrist's agent in Havana, Attorney J. Joaquin Pale (Polo), in early 1890 bought the north half of Section 3 and part of Section 2 southeast of Solana.

Other Cuban purchasers at that time were San Miguel Antonia, Jose Genard Sanchez, Waldamar O. G. Droop, Ramon O. Williams, Victor Perez, Joseph Springer, and Lucia Giorgi DeVilla.

Florida Southern, anxious to increase freightage, offered Emerson six acres free on Punta Gorda's east side for a factory. The railroad had obtained 15 acres as a concession from Col. Isaac H. Trabue for coming to his town, instead of to Charlotte Harbor Town.

Kelly B. Harvey -- the surveyor who laid out Punta Gorda for Trabue in 1885 and also stayed to speculate in land -- offered El Palmetto a free site at Charlotte Harbor Town.

The offer, dated May 9, 1891, was witnessed by John Trabue, Isaac's cousin and Albert Gilchrist. Involvement of Gilchrist at Charlotte Harbor Town is surprising in view of his interest in cigar manufacture at Punta Gorda.

Nevertheless, Emerson took Florida Southern's offer because of the shipping advantage. The deal with the Florida Commercial Co., real estate division of the railroad, was signed June l, 1891, for "$1 and other valuable considerations."

With this, Emerson, Tyler and Hinckley formally organized the El Palmetto Cigar Manufacturing Company.

A large wood-frame factory and a row of cottages for workers bas built at the southeast corner of Virginia Ave. and Cochran St. (now Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.) The main building was assessed for $3000, a large sum those days.

The company also bought other parcels in town and seemed as active in the real estate business as that of manufacturing cigars.

It subdivided Block 31 by dedicating Goldstein St.; and on January 19, 1892, sold the west half to S. P. Hinckley, A.K. Demere, and L.T. Blocksom as "trustees for the Punta Gorda School." The school was the first in Punta Gorda for public enrollment and now is an apartment building.

El Palmetto transferred a large block of land at the factory site on October 31, 1892, to Manuel Borges of Cuba "in consideration of services." He appears to have been manager of the factory. He bought two lots at Solana just two months later. There he built a home along LaVilla Rd.

Also in October, Henry Mobley (Moberly), a "day laborer" African-American, purchased three lots from the El Palmetto Company adjacent to the factory for $106. He put up two cottages -- one valued at $150 for tax purposes, and the other at $80.

Mobley lived in the larger dwelling and rented the other to a Cuban cigar maker. Perhaps Mobley was janitor at the factory. His home burned later, and he moved to another house on Cooper Street.

The Punta Gorda Herald reported in May 1895: "Seignior Gonzalo Herrera from Spanish Ranch was married to Seignorita Vicenta Rica at the home of Emanuel Borges by Rev. M. S. Stevens." Those of Spanish descent are usually thought to be Roman Catholic, but Stevens was minister of the Punta Gorda Methodist Church.

It is thought that "Spanish Ranch" was the property owned by Cuban Attorney Pale east of Florida Ave. where LaVilla Road dead-ends. Old maps show an extensive orange grove there. Herrera might have been resident manager of the property.

The 1896 tax roll reports a small tax paid on vacant lots by Mrs. Susan Borges. The 1900 census does not indicate that Manuel Borges had a wife. Perhaps she had died by then. The census lists two sons. Walter, age 21, gives his occupation as "cigar maker," and C. F. Borges, age 17, is a "clerk."

El Palmetto was liquidated about 1901 by sale of its properties to various real estate brokers. Fate of the factory is unknown. All the building were removed from the Cochran site during the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s to make way for new residences.

D. H. Huckaby moved several El Palmetto factory houses to lots on Brown and Wood streets. Two of these on Brown St. were purchased for $50 each by Cleve Mays, an African-American day laborer. One of the cottages, at this writing, is the home of Mrs. Elnora Puckett, May's step-daughter.

Second Cigar Factory

A competing cigar company was established in l892 by Fritz Quedneau on Marion St. between Berry and Shreve streets. His Grandson, Albert Quedneau, lives in the home built by Fritz. The two story factory was next door but has since been demolished.

Fritz came from Alsace-Lorraine; and his wife, Minnie (nee Gardner), was of German origin. They had three boys, Fred, Henry and George.

According to Tosie Quedneau Hindman, daughter of Fred, Fritz went to Muncie, Ind., on business in l896. There he contracted pneumonia, died and was buried. Fred, the oldest son, was just four.

Minnie converted the cigar factory into a boarding house to support herself and three boys. She also did house work for Mrs. Virginia Trabue, wife of the towns's founder; and for Mrs. Perry McAdow, a prominent matron. Sadly, Minnie died suddenly while working in Mrs. Trabue's home.

The best remembered cigar factory, and the most successful, was the Punta Gorda Cigar Manufacturing Company established in 1905 by former stockholders of El Palmetto. Willard J. Emerson was president and S.P. Hinckley secretary.

A major stockholder in the latest venture was Gilchrist, then speaker of the Florida Legislature and later governor. The factory was first located on the east side of Cross St. (U.S. 41 south) between Retta Esplanade and Marion Ave.

The company prospered, 20 employees turning out 350,000 cigars in 1907 according to Historian Vernon Peeples. It's best known brand was the Three Monkey Five-Cent Cigar -- a name suggested by Gilchrist.

His "trademark" was the three monkeys who "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." The motif was painted on his Marion Ave. real estate office and pictured on his political campaign cards.

Punta Gorda Cigar outgrew its Cross St. factory, and the Herald reported expansion plans in its February 13, 1913, issue:

"An adjourned meeting of the stockholders of the Punta Gorda Cigar Manufacturing Company will be held in the factory this evening at 7 o'clock. It is hoped there will be a good representation of stock, for matters of importance are to be finally disposed of.

"Amongst the latter is that of increasing the capital stock and the erection of a suitable building. It is proposed to put up a two-story building especially for the cigar manufacturing business.

"The donation of a lot in the southeastern part of town has been offered by C. C. Symonette, the company's traveling representative.

"It seems wise to undertake the project. A factory building is needed in which the business can be carried on under more favorable conditions economically; and on which more reasonable insurance rates may be obtained. The business is growing, and prospects for the future are brighter than ever."

The new factory was completed in June of that year; but, alas, disaster struck a few days before Christmas, as reported by the Herald:

"Punta Gorda suffered a serious loss last Friday night when the new cigar factory and all its contents were destroyed by fire. Total loss is something over $10,000 --- half of which is covered by insurance.

"How the fire originated has not been determined, but it is believed it started from a lighted stump of a cigar carelessly tossed into some waste by a workman at the closing hour.

"The fire occurred about 10 o'clock. When first discovered, flames were bursting through the roof. An alarm was promptly given. Many citizens hurried to the scene. However, the factory was beyond reach of the water system. Nothing could be done to save it.

"The factory, which had only recently been erected, cost $3,500; and there was over $5,000 worth of tobacco on hand. Add to this nearly $2,000 in furniture and other appurtenances. Besides this, there is a loss to the business houses of town the wages of the 20 workmen who have been laid off for a time.

"We are glad to report that, at a meeting of the directors held Monday night, arrangements were made to continue the business in a few days.

"The directors agreed that A. Symonette, the foreman, might resume the business in his own name, manufacturing the same brands as heretofore. Mr. Symonette has secured the lower floor of the Masonic building where he will resume the manufacture of cigars as soon as he can lay in a supply of tobacco."

The firm was re-organized on January l, 1914 as the Punta Gorda-Havana Cigar Company, but not under Symonette's management. The president was Henry Ainsworth, vice-president W. E. Reid, and secretary-treasurer George O. Dewey.

There is no record of production. Symonette continued making cigars as the Aquadilla Cigar Company at the Masonic Temple on the east side of Sullivan St. south of Marion. However, he, also, soon faded from the scene.

Successor to the cigar business in Punta Gorda was The Whiteaker Cigar Co. organized by U. S. Whiteaker, grandfather of Historian U.S. Cleveland.

The factory was located in a two-story sheet-iron building on McGregor street south of the railroad. The principal brand of cigars was "Punta Gorda Straights."

Whiteaker gave up the business in 1918. His assets were taken over by the last cigar company here which was established by the Steele brothers, Charlie and Harry.

Their Charlotte Harbor Cigar Company occupied the second floor of a restaurant at the southeast corner of King St. ( U. S. 41 north) and Marion Ave. When the main part of the building was torn down for a gas station, the Steele brothers continued making cigars for awhile in a rear addition.

A 1932 newspaper story about the Charlotte Harbor Cigar Company listed the firm's popular brands: Punta Gorda Straights, Golden Gate Panatella, Don Rey, and Punta Gorda Brush End.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, cigars diminished through the growing popularity of cheap cigarettes. Cigar manufacture here became an historical memory.

cutlines

Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Harbor Area Historical Society

Punta Gorda Cigar Manufacturing Co. featured the "Three Monkey 5-cent Cigar" but operated only six months before being destroyed by fire. Signage on postcard above was added by the printer. Note that the one and only factory claimed to be part of a network of 290 cigar factories -- a bit of salesmanship.

Photo by Lindsey Williams

Mrs. Elnora Puckett stands in doorway of her home built more than a century ago for Cuban cigar makers. The structure has been designated a historical landmark by the Punta Gorda Historic Preservation Committee.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers