Happy Hour with the Historian | Clear Havanas: Key West’s Cigar Industry

The Key West Art & Historical Society is excited to offer a series of fun historical lectures entitled ‘Happy Hour with the Historian’.

Historian: Cori Convertito Ph.D.

Topic: Clear Havanas: Key West’s Cigar Industry

The early 19th century witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, a time of dramatic economic change when small cottage industries were replaced with large-scale factory production. On the heels of the Industrial Revolution, Cuba’s cigar making industry blossomed. Small tobacco farms were consolidated into large plantations for more efficient tobacco production, while displaced tobacco farmers found gainful employment as skilled cigar making artisans.

With Cuba’s cigar economy booming, many sought new opportunities abroad. Just 90 miles from Cuba, Key West emerged as an ideal location for expansion. In 1867, German immigrant Samuel Seidenberg recognized this potential and established Key West’s first “clear Havana” cigar factory, producing authentic Cuban cigars in America using Cuban-grown tobacco and skilled Cuban labor.

Within a few short years, thousands of Cuban immigrants arrived in Key West, drawn by steady employment, affordable housing, and a supportive community. The island’s warm, humid climate, perfect for maintaining the delicate tobacco leaf, further fueled the industry’s growth. By 1873, 15 factories employed over 1,200 workers. Just three years later, 29 factories were producing an astonishing 62 million cigars annually.

By 1890, Key West had become Florida’s largest and wealthiest city, with a population exceeding 18,000 and an annual output of more than 100 million hand-rolled cigars.

Despite its remarkable success, the industry eventually declined. Labor disputes, unionization, and competition from factories in Tampa led many manufacturers to relocate. The rise of inexpensive machine-made cigars and the economic impact of the Great Depression further diminished the market for premium Cuban cigars.

Although the golden age of cigar making in Key West has passed, its cultural legacy, and the stories of the workers who shaped it, remain an enduring and vibrant part of the island’s history.