page_title: History of Tampa, Florida
section_title: Burgert Brothers
hierarchical_section_title: History of Tampa, Florida / 20th century / Burgert Brothers
caption_attribution_description: English: Early automobile in the second Gasparilla parade in Tampa, Florida, 1905
context_page_description: The modern history of Tampa, Florida, can be traced to the founding of Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in today's downtown in 1824, soon after the United States had taken possession of Florida from Spain. The outpost brought a small population of civilians to the area, and the town of Tampa was first incorporated in 1855.
  Growth came slowly as poor transportation links, conflicts with the Seminole tribe, and repeated outbreaks of yellow fever made development difficult. The Civil War and Reconstruction caused the city government to disincorporate for over a decade.
  In the 1880s the construction of the first railroad links laid by Henry B. Plant brought the development of thriving cigar and phosphate industries. The founding of the cigar-centered neighborhood of Ybor City in 1885 brought an influx of Cubans, Spaniards, Italians, and other immigrants. Tampa's population jumped from less than 800 residents in 1880 to over 15,000 in 1900, making it one of the largest cities in Florida.
  By the 20th century Tampa emerged as a modern financial, trade, and commercial hub.
context_section_description: The Burgert Brothers photos began in 1899.  They acquired a studio in 1917 and were the leading photographers in Tampa until the early 1960s.
caption: Burgert Brothers photograph of Gasparilla, 1905
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