Puyallup Valley Proves Fertile Ground for Tobacco
Local tobacco growers receive high praise from San Francisco experts who find the regional crop matches the quality of Connecticut-grown leaf.
Tobacco dealers manifested considerable interest yesterday in the shipment of tobacco that had been raised in the Puyallup valley, and forwarded to a prominent firm in San Francisco for inspection. The impression it made on the trade was exceedingly favorable, as a number of the best known experts unhesitatingly stated that the sample submitted was equal to the very best tobacco produced in the East. Cigars have been made of this tobacco and are pronounced excellent by smokers.
“The impression it made on the trade was exceedingly favorable, as a number of the best known experts unhesitatingly stated that the sample submitted was equal to the very best tobacco produced in the East.”
This report captures an early attempt at agricultural diversification in the Puyallup Valley. While the valley eventually became better known for hops and berries, the story reflects the era's boosterism and the persistent drive to prove Washington's land could replicate the high-value cash crops of the East.
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