c. 1830s – 1870s
Experiments made by B. P. Barber of East Windsor about 1830 with some Maryland seed produced a beautiful, finely textured, broad leaf, which was later developed into Connecticut broadleaf. This type provided a superior wrapper for cigars over the shoestring wrapper, a long narrow leaf, formerly grown in the valley. Beginning in the 1830s, home-making of cigars diminished and cigar factories sprang up. In 1870, there were 235 factories in Connecticut. As cigars became increasingly popular through the nineteenth century, cigar makers set up large operations in New York (shown), Philadelphia, and other major cities, helping to drive the demand for large quantities of Connecticut-grown tobacco.
Image: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division