155 Years of History, Stories, and Good Corn: the Missouri Meerschaum Anniversary
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James Foster - Oct 2, 2024
- 10 min read
Go back 25- 30 years ago, when Missouri Meerschaum was bought by three gentlemen, Michael, Larry, and Bob. Michael tells the story about one of the reasons they purchased 150 acres of land: to ensure they had enough corn to stay in business. The story goes like this: the local Missouri farmers had lost another crop of corn due to catastrophic weather. Things were getting desperate when it came to keeping the factory running because of the shortage of corn cobs, and Michael looked to California to grow some of the hybrid corn they use for pipes.
Nothing goes to waste, either. All the corn kernels that are shelled go to this large silo pictured above that is sold to two places: ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), which does corn processing: From Wikipedia: The Corn Processing segment converts corn into sweeteners and starches, and bioproducts. Its products include ingredients used in the food and beverage industry, including sweeteners, starch, syrup, and glucose (dextrose). Dextrose and starch are used by the Corn Processing segment as feedstocks for its bioproducts operations.
The cobs come down the shoot and are cut into the size they need based on their current production. Next, the cobs are bored out to create the tobacco chamber.
Cobs are then thrown into bins, and set aside for sorting into shipping boxes to go out around the world.
Needless to say, the past couple of years have been good growing years; there is no shortage of cobs.
Looking in the display cases at the factory, you’ll find some amazing cobs and their journeys, like the picture above. This pipe went around the world and to the South Pole!
You’ll also find the letter from General MacArthur to the company. MacArthur was rarely caught without this extra large corn cob pipe in his mouth in photographs.
The gentlemen at the Skillet Fork Museum set up a display in the factory and had a fantastic amount of cobs and history to share.
Missouri Meerschaum did a lot of “white-labeling” for other retailers like Wally Frank, and some of the marketing was, let’s say, misleading. Cobs have never been aged in bourbon barrels.
Another “mistake” was the colored bowls, which, when you smoked them, the paint started to crack and crumble off.
To top off your tour at the factory, you can sit in the custom thrown of cobs to snap a picture. You can stop by the factory year-round, check out the store, and get a tour and history from the nicest people who clearly love what they do.
Wrapping Up
Thanks to Shannon and Brett Hoch, Phil, and Pat Morgan, and the owners for letting us ask many questions and showing us around for their 155th Anniversary. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience to travel to Washington, Missouri, and check out where the famous corn cob pipes are made. It’s pretty eye-opening to see how much work it takes to bring those cobs from the ground to your mouth to smoke your favorite tobacco.
Written by James Foster
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