Aaron and Samuel Bloch ran a dry goods store in Wheeling, West Virginia.
In 1884, a flood ruined the grocery store but the second floor tobacco factory was untouched.
The brothers began collecting cigar cuttings, added flavors such as molasses and packaged the loose chewing tobacco in small pouches which resembled a small mail bag, hence the name Mail Pouch Tobacco.
Mail Pouch Tobacco barn signs were part of an advertisement campaign that started in the early1890's.
West Virginia.At one time, country wide, there had been around 20,000 barns carrying the Mail Pouch insignia, today less than 2,000 remain.
In 1974, Congress designated Mail Pouch Barn signs as National Historic Landmarks.
All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.
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