This brief but excellent video dives into some of the history of the Mail Pouch Tobacco imagery seen all throughout rural Appalachia, particularly in my neck of the woods, Wheeling, WV. The subject of the video, Harley Warrick, was one of the men who made some of his living painting barns and advertising Mail Pouch tobacco.
The old Wheeling Stogie factory has been unoccupied and for sale for some time, a reminder of a time gone by. It's a piece of history that in some ways, can induce a little bit of melancholy to me. I can't say it is a past I am nostalgic for; I was of age around the time the factory shut down. Seeing the Wheeling Stogie sign and the building gradually but surely atrophy with time, however, is still jarring, a reminder of more prosperous times.
Still, even as a kid, I remember seeing these barns all the time, and one can still see them if they drive out to the country. It's great to learn why they are so ubiquitous. Hope you guys enjoy this video as much as I did.
The old Wheeling Stogie factory has been unoccupied and for sale for some time, a reminder of a time gone by. It's a piece of history that in some ways, can induce a little bit of melancholy to me. I can't say it is a past I am nostalgic for; I was of age around the time the factory shut down. Seeing the Wheeling Stogie sign and the building gradually but surely atrophy with time, however, is still jarring, a reminder of more prosperous times.
Still, even as a kid, I remember seeing these barns all the time, and one can still see them if they drive out to the country. It's great to learn why they are so ubiquitous. Hope you guys enjoy this video as much as I did.