Cigarmaking: 140 years of Excellence in Tampa

Join Holden Rasmussen, Company Historian for the J.C. Newman Cigar Co., for a journey through 140 years of cigarmaking history in Tampa. From 1886 to 2026, the traditions, tools, and craftsmanship of cigar production reveal a remarkable continuity across generations. Drawing from the J.C. Newman archives, this presentation explores the people, artifacts, and enduring culture that shaped Tampa into the Cigar Capital of the World.

Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America. For four generations and 129 years, J.C. Newman has been handcrafting many of the world’s finest cigars. J.C. Newman is headquartered in an iconic 114-year-old cigar factory in the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District in Tampa, Florida. At this factory, known as “El Reloj,” J.C. Newman rolls premium cigars both by hand and by hand-operated, antique cigar machines.