Duval House, The

The history of the cigar manufacturing industry in the United States, Key West, and The Duval House are as intertwined as our crystal-clear water, coral reef, and the bountiful sea life that they nurture. At the Duval House, we know of at least two cigar manufacturers that operated on our grounds at various points in history: John S. Valdes Cigar Factory and S & F Fleitas Cigar Company.
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Cigar manufacturing in Key West saw explosive growth shortly after Samuel Sidenberg, a New York-based cigar manufacturer, established the first “clear Cuban” cigar factory in Key West in 1867. Sidenberg used Cuban laborers to roll Cuban tobacco, thus pioneering the manufacture of authentic Cuban cigars here in America while avoiding the high tariffs imposed by the Spanish government against products manufactured in Havana.