The First Cigar in the Territory: A Local Industry Takes Root
Snohomish entrepreneur T.P. Patton has begun manufacturing tobacco, growing his own crop and rolling it into black shag—a sign of economic self-sufficiency in Washington Territory.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The first manufacture of tobacco in Washington Territory has begun at Snohomish, Pierce county [sic], by Mr. T. P. Patton. The 'cell' was grown by Mr. Patton and is now put up in the shape of black shag tobacco.
[Note: The OCR text contains a geographical error placing Snohomish in Pierce County; historically and geographically, Snohomish is in Snohomish County. This correction has been applied for accuracy in the extraction fields below.]
In an era when Washington Territory was still largely defined by resource extraction (timber, mining), local manufacturing of consumer goods like tobacco was a significant step toward economic independence from Eastern markets. Today, Snohomish continues to pivot between its industrial logging past and a modern economy driven by tech, aerospace, and boutique agriculture, mirroring Patton's early attempt to add value to local crops.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.