Photos show time when Weston was the only active tobacco market west of Mississippi River
By Monty Davis,
1 days ago
Editor’s Note: The Kansas City Star has an extensive photo archive filled with images of events, people and places that have shaped Kansas City. We’re sharing some of those images for a look back at memorable, or forgotten, moments in Kansas City’s history.
For decades, Weston, Missouri, survived as the only active tobacco market west of the Mississippi River.
These vintage black and white photographs from the archives of The Kansas City Star capture moments of a bygone era. Tobacco farming is labor intensive and workers on small family farms hand-planted the tobacco seeds in the ground, then cutting, hauling and hanging tobacco in the barns to cure.
According to an article published in The Star in 2008, tobacco farming has been a big part of the agricultural scene in Weston since the 1800s. Riverboats and railroads provided an affordable way to ship the crop back east.
For years the post-Thanksgiving tobacco markets were festive as growers and curious onlookers were checking out the prices buyers were paying for that year’s crop. Downtown was full of residents who celebrated the occasion with chili feeds and events that added to the festivities.
In the late 1990s, the market system ended as farmers began growing tobacco under contracts with pre-determined prices. The old warehouses in Weston became shipping stations for loading contracted tobacco onto semi trucks.
Additionally, health concerns from the effects of smoking cut the demand for tobacco products even further.
I still grow a small plot of tobacco every few years. there's probably 500 lbs of full leaf tobacco in my barn currently curing. some of it is 15+ years old. another 5 or 10 and it will be good 😏👌
Jeffrey Morris
1d ago
there was a lot of tobacco farms in that whole area..pretty sure there still farming it there .some of those families go a long way back.
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