Today’s throwback Thursday photo shows a tobacco barn in Tioga County, New York. When people usually think about tobacco farming they typically envision places like Virginia or Maryland, but there was a time when our region was home to a number of large tobacco farms. From the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, tobacco farming helped bring wealth and prestige to a number of local families, including the Pumpelly familyof Owego, NY. While the heyday of tobacco farming in the area is long past, a few of the large tobacco barns, used to cure the tobacco leaves, still dot the landscape of the region. Learn more about our region's agricultural past in Harvest, WSKG's new original documentary, premiering November 19th at 8PM.
Photos courtesy of the Tioga County Historical Society.