TAMPA — The group that helped create the Riverwalk wants to pay tribute to three of the most significant events in Tampa’s history.
Friends of the Riverwalk unveiled concepts Friday for monuments honoring the introduction of the cigar industry to Tampa, the connection of Henry Plant’s railroad to Tampa’s port and World War II.
“We call these transformational events in Tampa’s history,” said Steven Anderson, Friends of the Riverwalk president. “Things that really made a huge difference then and still make a difference in the fabric and the economy of Tampa.”
The trio of tributes would become the latest to be added to the Historical Monument Trail, which began as an idea 10 years ago and now includes 18 monuments. The selection of the three events was made by the same eight historians who chose the existing monuments. Three artists — Steven Dickey, Michael Parker and Jamie Lee Sealander — then labored for over a year on the design concepts revealed Friday.