Neighborhood grocery stores helped define communities and provide for everyday needs. In 1920, this location was L.M. Del Rio and Son Grocery. A suspicious fire in November of that year damaged many of the blocks' buildings, including $15,000 in damage to Del Rio’s. He published a public plea for forbearance from his creditors the next day. In 1923, his spot was advertised for rent as a new building, so the assumption was that it was rebuilt.  E. Garcia had opened his Cuban Market, shown here in this undated photograph, around that same time, selling produce imported from Cuba, pork products, including bacon and pork chops, and household goods. Garcia stayed in business until the Great Depression in the late 1920s. His assets were sold at a public auction in 1931.

In May of 2021, Casa Socarrás was dedicated as a newly renovated commercial and residential building on the site. The name honors Figueredo Socarrás, a hero of the Cuban Revolution and West Tampa pioneer. The property is reportedly also the site of the El Liseo Cubano, where Jose Marti spoke to unite the Cuban people to fight for independence from Spain.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved