History Of The Local Tobacco Market
Warehouse Proprietors Named From (Opening In 1902 To Present
Back in 1901 when the county
was producing about 1,400,000
pounds of tobacco on approxi-1
mately 2,000 acres, several of the
leading citizens realized the need
for a tobacco market in William
ston. In April or May of that year,
the committee, more or less self
appointed, held a meeting and
went so far as to advance detail
ed plans and cost estimates. The
group, headed by J. Dawson
Biggs, chairman, and including
N. S. Peel. William Slade, Wheel-'
er Martin and possibly one or two
others, proposed to build two
warehouses 80 by 100 feet and
three prize houses to measure 40
by 80 feet. The entire project, the
group estimated, was to cost about
$18,000. Jim Staton, then a young
dirt farmer living near town, was
called in and consulted, and he
along with the committee recog
nized the need for a market. That
meeting, for some reason or other
failed in its mission, more than
likely by the risk involved.
Early in 1902 the same group
of men realized their mistake and
with new vigor and added life,
the foundation for the market was
laid. The late Dennis Simmons
gave the ground for five shares
of stock and a company known
as the Martin County Warehouse
Company was formed. Hie plans,
prepared the year before, were
used and the five buildings were
constructed Hie warehouses were
known and operated as the Roan
oke and Dixie. Two of the prize
houses were burned in later years.
"Hie driveways to the two houses
were completed the first of this
month, forty-one years ago, and
on August 4. 1902. the first pile
of tobacco was sold in the Dixie
Warehouse operated by E. L. Mor
gan.
It was a gay time in the town,
the event marking the beginning
of a business that has down
through the years been one of the
town's biggest assets. Mr Mor
gan did his own auctioneering,
ar.d the late Harry W. Stubbs
made one of his flowery speeches,
welcoming the farmers and de
claring that a new day had dawn
ed for the Martin County tobac
co farmer and the community.
Morgan, all for tobacco, became
a bit worried before the speaker
concluded his talk. "He is trying
to pull politics in," Morgan was
quoted as saying quietly.
No official record of the sales
or the price average is to be had,
but a fair amount of the golden
leaf was sold and the price al
though small compared with la
ter-day figures apparently pleas
ed the customers.
The second sale on the memor
able day was held over in the Ro
anoke Warehouse, a vacant lot la
ter to be floored and covered, di
viding the two houses. Jim Staton
and Jim Leggett were proprietors
but their silver-tongued auction
eer, the late Colonel C. A. W.
Barham, attracted all the atten
tion Mumbling, the meaning of
which has not until this day been
identified with any language, the
colonel would say "Rounder, by
jove," when a price fraction near
the top was before the house.
Tobacco opened high the first
year the market was open, that is
the price was high or considered
high in those days. But, according
to Mr. Staton, the tobacco com
panies combined, prices went
down and the warehousemen were
left with a lot of tobacco on their
hands. Morgan left for Burlington
but appeared on the market again
in 1906 to operate the newly con
structed warehouse built by
Messrs. J. G Staton and J. G.
Godard and the late Eli Gurgan
us.
In 1903, Messrs. Leggett and
Staton were again at the Roan
oke, and the late Bill York and
W. T. Meadows succeeded Mor
gan at the Dixie. Few records
were kept and price and sales
figures were lost.
Leggett withdrew from the bus
iness and in 1904. Mr. Staton op
erated the Roanoke and Meadows
and York were again at the Dixie.
Approximately 17,000 pounds
were sold on the opening day,
August 4th, with the prices rang
ing from 4 to 17 cents, the aver
age being $6.85.
Staton was at the Roanoke and
W. T. Meadows, joined by Jeff
Cothran, of Durham, were at the
Dixie in 1905. There were five
buyers. T. J. Smith for the Amer
ican, C. A. Jeffrees, father of the
Imperial buyer here this seasor
for the Imperial, W. T. Meadow
for the Jap government and Nea
and Neal for the independent)
Prices were referred to that yea
as "high".
The records are not quite clea
for 1906, but it is certain that E
L. Morgan was at the Farmers a
proprietor, and that Thomas Gra
ham. Major Neal, Meadows am
Cothran and Staton were on th
market that season.
In 1907, Meadows and Statoi
formed a partnership for the op
eration of the Dixie Tom S. Gra
ham was at the Roanoke and th
late Eli Gurganus and John 1
Fishel, of Danville, ran the Farm
ers house.
The next year, 1908, Tuggle am
S. A. Gravely were at the Farm
ers, J. S. Turner, of Durham, a
the Dixie, and Staton and Mead
ows at the Roanoke.
In 1909 Staton was at the Dixie
Turner and Gravely at the Farm
ers and Tom Graham at the Ro
anoke. The market opened on Au
gust 3 and sold 14,388 pounds tha
day for an average price of fiv
cents, but there was no complain
ing.
The next year found Staton a
the Roanoke and Bill York, o
Castalia, and Joe S. Stallings o
Wendell at the Dixie. There's n<
record for the Farmers house ir
1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913, althougl
it is known that the house was op
era ted.
Meadows and Staton were al
the Dixie in 1911, the markel
opening on September 1, thai
year. No record for the othei
houses.
In 1912, Eli Gurganus, W. A
James and H. T. Beasley were a!
the Roanoke and Staton at the
Dixie.
J. W. Hight and J. G. Staton
were at the Dixie in 1913 and W
A. James, Eli Gurganus and Joe
Taylor were at the Roanoke.
Opening on September 4, 1914,
the market had 121,000 pounds of
tobacco on the floor opening day
and sales ran until 6 o'clock with
J. G. Staton at the Dixie, Mobley,
Taylor and Co at the Roanoke,
and W. A. James and Co., at the
Farmers.
A partnership for the combin
. ed operation of the Roanoke and
i Dixie houses was formed by J. G.
1 Staton, J. W. Hight and Nat D.
? Young in 1915, and W. A. James 1
? and Eli Gurganus operated the 1
Farmers house. ]
On opening day, August 16,
, 1916, prices soared to new levels
; and ranged from $8 to $60. J. D.
. King and Sons were at the Dixie,
1 Staton at the Roanoke and W. A.
. James and Co. at the Farmers. The
{automobile made its first appear
ance on a fairly large scale in j J
i
. the transportation of tobacco that
. year.
; The Brick Warehouse was open
. ed in 1917 by W. A. James and
Company. J. D. and Kelly King
were at the Dixie, Staton at the
I Roanoke, and Mobley, Taylor and
. Hight at the Farmers. About 200.
t 000 pounds were sold for an av
. erage of 28 cents opening day.
The year, 1918, broke all rec
. ords, the opening day sales of 148,
. 426 pounds selling for an average
. of $39.96. The same proprietors
. were at the Farmers and Brick
t houses, but Staton operated both
? the Roanoke and Dixie.
The sky was the limit in 1919
when whole loads of tobacco av
[ jet-aged as high as $1.18 a pound.
Unfortunately those high prices | j
[marked the beginning of an un-.j
certain period. The same proprie- y
tors were at the Brick, Roanoke
and Dixie, but John R. Peel had ,
j joined Taylor and Hight at the j
Farmers.
A different story was heard in i ^
1920 when prices opened at about j
18 cents. The proprietors were the j j.
same as in 1919. . I
Jim Staton, after 20 years on
the market, withdrew and Joe
Taylor operated the Roanoke
Dixie. H. L. Meador was at the! ?
Brick and J. W Hight at the Far- j
itiers in 1921
Tn 1922, the tobacco cooperative j
made its appearance. Everything (
was uncertain, but the market j
struggled through with Joe Tay- j
lor at the Roanoke-Dixie, J. W. j
Hight at the Farmers and the Co
ops at the Brick. ^
Joe Taylor and Sam Mangum. ,
of Durham, were at the Dixie; O. ^
L. Tucker, H. H Morton and E. ^
G. Rogers at the Roanoke, J. W. ?
Hight at the Farmers, and Harry
L. Meador managed the Brick for
:he Co-ops in 1923.
The Co-ops made their last
itand in 1924 at the Brick. Will
*ice and D. L. Spain were at the
?"aimers, and Harry Meador and
Foe Taylor formed a partnership
it the Dixie. Hubert Morton and
V. B. Watts operated the Roan
ike.
H. A. and J. T. Timberlake and
Svan Willard were at the Brick
n 1925, and the same proprietors
eturned to the Dixie. Jule James
oined Will Rice at the Farmers,
ind R. T. Griffin, Jimmie Gurkin
ind Claude Griffin joined Watts
ind Morton at the Roanoke.
In 1926, J. T. Barnhill, Frank
T. Bennett and Hubert Morton
vere at the Farmers. W. T. Mead
iws, Harry Meador and Watts
vere at the Roanoke-Dixie, and
Toe Taylor, John D. Biggs, D. D.
Stalls, S. C. Griffin and Roy T.
Jriffin were at the Brick.
Prices were fairly stable in
927 after the hectic years, the
narket reporting 325,000 pounds
in the floors and an opening-day
iverage of 21 cents. F. C. Bennett,
cman Barnhill and Hubert Mor
on were at the Farmers, W. T.
ifeadows, H. L. Meador, S. C.
Jrfifin and Joe Taylor at the Ro
inoke-Dixie, and Bob Grimes and
Victor Shelnume at the Brick.
In 1928 the following line-up
vas in effect: Watts, Morton and
toy Griffin at the Brick, W. T.
deadows, H. L. Meador, W. J.
Taylor and Claude Griffin at the
toanoke-Dixie, and Leman Bam
lill, V. J. Veasey and Frank C.
iennett at the Farmers.
Before the opening in 1929, the
ild Brick house was burned but
i new and larger house, the Plant
ers was built It was operated by
laywood Everett and Evan Wil
ard. Leman Barnhill and W. R.
ngram started a partnership at
he Farmers, and W. T. Meadows,
I. L. Meador, S. C. Griffin and W.
' Taylor were at the Roanoke
Jixie.
W. T. Meadows, S. C. and Roy
'. Griffin were at the Roanoke
)ixie; Barnhill and Ingram at
he Farmers, and Harry and Roy
leador and Joe Taylor were at
(Continued on next page)
Now Is the Time to Insure Your Property
r/hv
-^?a?o
Call us for fire, theft, plate glats, hail, wind
storm. rain, casualty, liability or any other
type of insurance that you eai either men
tion or suggest. If you need honest-to-good
ness protection, call us. We represent the
es in America
largest and most reliable conipani
vor Higher Prices, For Be
Sell Your Tobacco in Williamston
ter Service
wr-i
-Vil
Wop
ftS" ?
?to^SK
HARRISON AND CARSTARPHEN