J. C. Newman Cigar Company

The J. C. Newman Cigar Company was founded in 1915 by Julius Ceasar Newman as a one-man operation in Ohio. The company grew and flourished and in the mid-50s, J.C. decided to relocate to Tampa to pursue his dream of producing a premium cigar line. A relative latecomer to Tampa's cigar industry, J.C. Newman took over another cigar factory, the Regensburg factory, which had been built in 1920 as one of the last and largest cigar factories built in Tampa. Known for its famous clock tower with hourly chimes, the factory was nicknamed El Reloj, Spanish for "The Clock." Today the clock has been refurbished and the factory remains as Ybor City's last operating cigar factory and features a small museum and cigar shop.