A tribute to Ybor

[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] A crowd gathered for the unveiling of the new statue of Don Vincente Martinez-Ybor. Among the crowd were Don Vincente's great-granddaughter-in-law Cecilia Martinez-Ybor, left his granddaughter Mercedes Martinez-Ybor and family friend Fernando Mesa.

By KEVIN GRAHAM

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 12, 2001

TAMPA -- The faint scent of cigar smoke lingered as more than 150 people gathered at the heart of Ybor City on Wednesday.

They had come to celebrate the man whose name the historic district bears. The man who moved to what was then known as Tampa Town in the mid-1880s and established Ybor City as "the Cigar Manufacturing Capital in the United States."

That man was Don Vicente Martinez-Ybor, who died in 1896.

On Wednesday, a 6-foot bronze statue of Martinez-Ybor was unveiled at Centro Ybor along Seventh Avenue.

His great-grandson, Rafael Martinez-Ybor, said it was the moment he had dreamed about for two years.

[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] The new statue of Don Vincente Martinez-Ybor.

"It's been a good two years' labor of love, but I'm very proud I was able to get it done," he said. "May he stand up there and remind us of the great efforts put forth by him and the other great founders."

Rafael Martinez-Ybor, 72, said he sent 80 letters asking for money to build the $30,000 statue, and received enough money in 60 contributions. The site of the statue was donated by developers of the Centro Ybor dining and entertainment complex, Yaromir Steiner and Jay Miller.

Martinez-Ybor hired Tampa sculptor Steve Dickey, who said he used photographs of Don Vicente Martinez-Ybor to sculpt the statue in about eight months.

Wednesday, Tampa Mayor Dick Greco read a proclamation calling July 11, 2001, "Vicente Martinez-Ybor Day." He called Ybor City the birthplace of diversity.

M.G. Alvarez Jr., president of the Ybor City chapter of Sister Cities, a group that promotes student and cultural exchanges with international cities, said the statue was befitting.

"It's fitting that this statue should go here, in the middle of everything," he said.

Mercedes Martinez-Ybor, Martinez-Ybor's granddaughter, was on hand to compliment her nephew for getting the statue made. The 89-year-old has lived in Tampa all her life. Her sister, Maria Julia Martinez-Ybor, also of Tampa, could not attend for health reasons.

Rafael Martinez-Ybor lives in Redington Beach, but said he grew up in Ybor City. Now, no one will forget how Ybor City was established, he said.

"It's a whole new Ybor for me," he said, "but at least it's still alive."

- Kevin Graham can be reached at (813) 226-3404 or graham@sptimes.com.

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