The Big Guava
Encyclopedia
The Big Guava is a nickname for Tampa, Florida
. It was coined in the 1970s by Steve Otto, long-time newspaper columnist
for the Tampa Tribune and the (defunct) Tampa Times.
The Tampa Bay Area
is not a source of commercially-grown guava
, as occasional freezes
make it difficult for the tropical trees to mature and become productive. Instead, the moniker derives from a combination of New York's
"Big Apple" nickname and a reference to businessman Gavino Gutierrez's unsuccessful quest for wild guava trees which was vital to Tampa's growth and development.
by training who was working for a tropical fruit packing firm in New York, heard a rumor that wild guava trees were common near in the Tampa Bay area
on the west coast of Florida. Thinking that the fruit could be gathered and serve as a new product source for his company, Gutierrez traveled to the area himself to search for the trees.
The rumor turned out to be false. However, Gutierrez was nevertheless impressed by the economic potential of the village of Tampa (pop. about 1000), especially since Henry B. Plant
was in the process of connecting the previously isolated town to the nation's railroad network
.
Gutierrez returned to New York by sea, stopping along the way to visit his friend Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a major cigar
manufacturer in Key West
. Ybor had been looking for a place to move his operations, and Gutierrez recommended Tampa as a possibility. Ybor immediately visited the area and agreed with Gutierrez's assessment.
Within a year, Ybor and his partners purchased a large tract of land just northeast of Tampa for a company town to be called Ybor City. Gutierrez accepted Ybor's offer to be his company's civil engineer, and he planned and laid out the streets where thousands of immigrants would soon live and work, a community that has been initiated by his recommendation. By the turn of the 20th Century, the sleepy village of Tampa had become one of Florida's largest cities and the "Cigar Capital of the World".
As Otto wrote when he introduced the nickname, "we owe it all to the guava".
, an annual Halloween-themed
event in Ybor City, gets its name from the city's fruity nickname.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. It was coined in the 1970s by Steve Otto, long-time newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for the Tampa Tribune and the (defunct) Tampa Times.
The Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
is not a source of commercially-grown guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
, as occasional freezes
Climate of the Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay area has a humid subtropical climate , with warm and humid summers with frequent thunderstorms and drier winters with freezing temperatures occurring every 2–3 years. The area experiences a significant summer wet season, as nearly two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls in the...
make it difficult for the tropical trees to mature and become productive. Instead, the moniker derives from a combination of New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
"Big Apple" nickname and a reference to businessman Gavino Gutierrez's unsuccessful quest for wild guava trees which was vital to Tampa's growth and development.
Origin
In 1884, Gavino Gutierrez, a Spanish-American civil engineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
by training who was working for a tropical fruit packing firm in New York, heard a rumor that wild guava trees were common near in the Tampa Bay area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
on the west coast of Florida. Thinking that the fruit could be gathered and serve as a new product source for his company, Gutierrez traveled to the area himself to search for the trees.
The rumor turned out to be false. However, Gutierrez was nevertheless impressed by the economic potential of the village of Tampa (pop. about 1000), especially since Henry B. Plant
Henry B. Plant
Henry Bradley Plant , was involved with many transportation projects, mostly railroads, in the U.S. state of Florida. Eventually he owned the Plant System of railroads which became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad...
was in the process of connecting the previously isolated town to the nation's railroad network
Rail transport in the United States
Presently, most rail transport in the United States is based on freight train shipments. The U.S. rail industry has experienced repeated convulsions due to changing U.S. economic needs and the rise of automobile, bus, and air transport....
.
Gutierrez returned to New York by sea, stopping along the way to visit his friend Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a major cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
manufacturer in Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
. Ybor had been looking for a place to move his operations, and Gutierrez recommended Tampa as a possibility. Ybor immediately visited the area and agreed with Gutierrez's assessment.
Within a year, Ybor and his partners purchased a large tract of land just northeast of Tampa for a company town to be called Ybor City. Gutierrez accepted Ybor's offer to be his company's civil engineer, and he planned and laid out the streets where thousands of immigrants would soon live and work, a community that has been initiated by his recommendation. By the turn of the 20th Century, the sleepy village of Tampa had become one of Florida's largest cities and the "Cigar Capital of the World".
As Otto wrote when he introduced the nickname, "we owe it all to the guava".
Related Events
GuavaweenGuavaween
Guavaween is an annual Latin-flavored Halloween celebration which takes place on the last Saturday of October in the historic neighborhood of Ybor City on Tampa, Florida. It is named after Tampa's nickname, "The Big Guava"....
, an annual Halloween-themed
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
event in Ybor City, gets its name from the city's fruity nickname.