Tobacco has been such a big part of the history of Greensboro, Guilford County, and North Carolina. Peak production in Greensboro was the 1890s. P. Lorillard was the nation's oldest tobacco company when they built a manufacturing plant in Greensboro in the mid-twentieth century. Back when we would spend a lot of time in east Greensboro, we remember smelling tobacco being prepared and always tried to guess the flavors being added- chocolate was the easiest to identify. You could smell it from Lorillard all the way over to Dudley High School. In the 1980s, the local tobacco industry really fell on hard times. By 1989, Greensboro passed the most restrictive smoking ordinance in North Carolina.* In the 1990s, it was the state's top cash crop, but Guilford County is not in the top ten tobacco growing counties.
We don't want to encourage smoking by any means; however, it is important for people to recognize the crop and recognize the role it has played in shaping the local economy. As you can see in the above tobacco field on Highway 150, it grows well in sand. This is a hardy crop that has been well tended. It is always fun to see a crop, pull of the road, and get a few photos. With all of the construction happening locally and land is selling for such a premium, continuing to farm any crop is quite a commitment. Would you recognize a field of tobacco? Study this one and then keep your eye out. This week, we've got you seeking out a new bakery, searching for purple LED lights, and now tobacco fields. Stick with Greensboro Daily Photo and we will lead you to interesting places!
Happy Wednesday. What will tomorrow bring?
*reference here and and here for more information.
There is a small belt in Ontario where tobacco is grown, something about a micro climate. I think it's on the Lake Erie shoreline.
Posted by: Wiiliam Kendall | Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 07:22 AM