{ "slug": "windsor-tobacco", "title": "Tobacco Valley: Fields, Sheds and Labor", "towns": [ "Windsor", "South Windsor", "Windsor Locks" ], "counties": [ "Hartford" ], "dateRange": "1875–1984", "topic": "Agriculture & labor", "summary": "The prized cigar leaf depended on intensive hand labor. Hine’s 1917 photographs preserve evidence of children’s work alongside the larger history of migration and agriculture.", "history": [ { "heading": "Growing a valuable leaf", "text": "The Connecticut Valley’s tobacco industry developed around cigar production. Broadleaf and Havana-seed varieties supplied different parts of the cigar; shade-grown tobacco became especially important for wrappers. In 1900 growers in Windsor’s Poquonock section experimented with fabric-covered fields intended to reproduce the conditions associated with imported wrapper leaf. The resulting tents and ventilated curing barns became distinctive features of the valley landscape.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-whs" ] }, { "heading": "The children in Hine’s photographs", "text": "Lewis Hine visited American Sumatra Tobacco Company operations in South Windsor in August 1917 for the National Child Labor Committee. His captions recorded children working in fields and sheds, including boys and girls around ten to fifteen years old. The images show tasks along a production chain: leaves had to be gathered, carried, strung and prepared for curing. They document child labor in a particular place and year, not a timeless rural idyll.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-field", "tobacco-shed" ] }, { "heading": "A labor market reaching beyond the farm", "text": "Hine recorded that some children traveled from Hartford by trolley. That detail connects an agricultural workplace to the city and its transport network. In later decades the crop drew workers from the Caribbean and the American South as well as local communities. Windsor Historical Society’s records describe the Shade Tobacco Growers Agricultural Association and its recruitment and services. Those institutional records provide a different perspective from the photographs: they show how seasonal labor was organized, while personal accounts and workers’ records are needed to understand individual experience.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-field", "tobacco-lasbury", "tobacco-whs" ] }, { "heading": "Reading the landscape after the harvest", "text": "A tobacco shed’s form makes sense in relation to the crop it housed. Its openings, long interior spaces and location among fields were working features, not decorative choices. The gallery includes a 2011 photograph of Windsor tobacco barns as later documentation, clearly separated from the 1917 labor photographs. Preserving the buildings and preserving the history of the people who worked in them are complementary tasks. The record becomes more complete when a landscape of agricultural skill is also understood as a landscape of demanding labor.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-barns", "tobacco-shed" ] } ], "timeline": [ { "date": "1875", "event": "Havana-seed tobacco is introduced in the valley, according to Windsor Historical Society.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-whs" ] }, { "date": "1900", "event": "Shade-grown experimentation begins in Poquonock.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-whs" ] }, { "date": "August 1917", "event": "Hine records children at American Sumatra operations in South Windsor.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-field", "tobacco-shed" ] }, { "date": "1943–1984", "event": "The Lasbury collection documents the growers’ association and migrant-labor administration.", "source_ids": [ "tobacco-lasbury" ] } ], "sources": [ { "id": "tobacco-whs", "title": "Windsor Historical Society: Tobacco, Windsor’s Cash Crop", "url": "https://www.windsorhistoricalsociety.org/tobacco-windsors-cash-crop/" }, { "id": "tobacco-field", "title": "Library of Congress: South Windsor field workers, August 2, 1917", "url": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678627/" }, { "id": "tobacco-shed", "title": "Library of Congress: South Windsor tobacco-shed workers, August 3, 1917", "url": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678624/" }, { "id": "tobacco-lasbury", "title": "Windsor Historical Society: Shade Tobacco Growers Agricultural Association records", "url": "https://www.windsorhistoricalsociety.org/faq-items/ralph-c-lasbury-jr-collection-the-shade-tobacco-growers-agricultural-association-records/" }, { "id": "tobacco-barns", "title": "Library of Congress: Carol M. Highsmith, Windsor tobacco barns, 2011", "url": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012630826/" } ], "images": [ { "id": "092cb8dab416046d1ea7", "image": "/county-images/13e6e6456db7f0b1996dc72476dd12f45f9f4f7f36eeb7a3fd1245a9a4b2cca6.jpg", "title": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 1", "alt": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 1 — 1917 August 3.", "date": "1917 August 3.", "credit": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 / National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678624/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication. For information see: \"National Child Labor Committee (Lewis Hine photographs),\" https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.097.hine", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678624/", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "10 year old leaf boy and three \"stringers\" 10, 12, and 13 years old. Tobacco shed of American Sumatra Tobacco Co. In these two sheds were 41 girls and boys from 10 to 15 years old, and only 24 girls and women of 16 years and over. The leaf-boys get $1.50 a day and some of the stringers of 10 and 12 make $1.20 a day, according to the Supt. Location: S[outh] Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/nclc/00700/00702v.jpg" }, { "id": "de7f847fd71b8578609f", "image": "/county-images/acd455ebfe18cc25b97a7ef4e38977b8f0643bd6255bc2afb7e3475cd77dac7f.jpg", "title": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 2", "alt": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 2 — 1917 August 3.", "date": "1917 August 3.", "credit": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 / National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678625/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication. For information see: \"National Child Labor Committee (Lewis Hine photographs),\" https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.097.hine", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678625/", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "10 year old leaf boy and three \"stringers\" 10, 12, and 13 years old. Tobacco shed of American Sumatra Tobacco Co. In these two sheds were 41 girls and boys from 10 to 15 years, and only 24 girls and women of 16 years and up. The leaf-boys get $1.50 a day and some of the stringers of 10 and 12 make $1.20 a day, according to the Supt. Location: S[outh] Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/nclc/00700/00703v.jpg" }, { "id": "29eeb4236af275c15c85", "image": "/county-images/9498a7ac15273f2cbfee391a91866760be22c974614a2612701cfe92583fc2a4.jpg", "title": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 3", "alt": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 3 — 1917 August 3.", "date": "1917 August 3.", "credit": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 / National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678623/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication. For information see: \"National Child Labor Committee (Lewis Hine photographs),\" https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.097.hine", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678623/", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "10 year old leaf boy and three \"stringers,\" 10, 12, and 13 yrs. old. Tobacco shed of American Sumatra Tob. Co. In these two sheds were 41 girls and boys from 10 to 15 yrs., and only 24 girls and women of 16 and over. The leaf-boys get $1.50 a day and some of the stringers of 10 and 12 make $1.20 a day, according to the Supt. Location: S[outh] Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/nclc/00700/00701v.jpg" }, { "id": "bede07ab21d48849f874", "image": "/county-images/77568b8094997fda24737e886863494f1e6141336714cf19b9cc4a795027c0ae.jpg", "title": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 4", "alt": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 4 — 1917 August 2.", "date": "1917 August 2.", "credit": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 / National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678626/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication. For information see: \"National Child Labor Committee (Lewis Hine photographs),\" https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.097.hine", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678626/", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "Field-workers, Amer[ican] Sumatra Tobacco Co. The Supt. called the boys out to the end of the rows and we found 47 boys from 9 to 15 yrs. old, all working but could not get hold of them all. The Supt. said, \"We have to hire boys because we can't get men to do the work.\" Many of them live in Hartord, Conn., and go back and forth on the trolley. Location: S[outh] Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/nclc/00700/00704v.jpg" }, { "id": "4ab10c79973d9e7348c4", "image": "/county-images/4838903854d431f36a0e0fef81835b1616000feb31e6f0a1f8cc078bb5fa85f2.jpg", "title": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 5", "alt": "South Windsor tobacco workers, view 5 — 1917 August 2.", "date": "1917 August 2.", "credit": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 / National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678627/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication. For information see: \"National Child Labor Committee (Lewis Hine photographs),\" https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.097.hine", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018678627/", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "Field-workers, Amer. Sumatra Tobacco Co. The Supt. called the boys out to the end of the rows and we found 47 boys from 9 to 15 years old, all working but could not get hold of them all. The Supt. said, \"We have to hire boys because we can't get men to do the work.\" Many of them live in Hartford, Conn., and go back and forth on the trolley. Location: S[outh] Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/nclc/00700/00705v.jpg" }, { "id": "12a8f12d307ba15f9022", "image": "/county-images/caa9166d1f4230d4f0fdf5a971b95d7ac2b407046a1e7641fcd9fb2f8ef8f87a.jpg", "title": "Windsor tobacco barns, documented in 2011", "alt": "Windsor tobacco barns, documented in 2011 — 2011 October.", "date": "2011 October. — later documentation", "credit": "Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012630826/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication.", "license": "No known restrictions (repository advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012630826/", "kind": "photograph", "later": true, "originalCaption": "Tobacco barns in Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/image-services/iiif/service:pnp:highsm:19400:19418/full/pct:25/0/default.jpg" }, { "id": "e45730b17de117869c48", "image": "/county-images/fbede5ac7c16b04aae0fdd5ae5826ac7f1a0e1c67b14b3776ab1bf842f80c622.jpg", "title": "Tobacco near Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "alt": "Tobacco near Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "date": "1937 Sept", "credit": "Locke, Edwin / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Locke, Edwin", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/item/2017728551/", "rights": "No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html", "license": "No known restrictions on publication (Library of Congress advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "Tobacco near Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/fsa/8a14000/8a14700/8a14776v.jpg" }, { "id": "84f14f5dab8cb44e8791", "image": "/county-images/91327095957953621931a173c84b40fe4bed6e07a01c00f215ef3664e52d693c.jpg", "title": "Tobacco field, Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "alt": "Tobacco field, Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "date": "1937 Sept", "credit": "Locke, Edwin / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Locke, Edwin", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/item/2017728708/", "rights": "No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html", "license": "No known restrictions on publication (Library of Congress advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": false, "originalCaption": "Tobacco field, Windsor Locks, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/fsa/8a14000/8a14900/8a14930v.jpg" }, { "id": "be644e41ee2a9d82eb1f", "image": "/county-images/5bbce7aeb7984f5640ab3ceb52ed9f559ba9141899b26687e35b879c62102fd5.jpg", "title": "Tobacco barns in Windsor, Connecticut", "alt": "Tobacco barns in Windsor, Connecticut (later documentation)", "date": "2011 October — later documentation", "credit": "Highsmith, Carol M., 1946- / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division", "creator": "Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-", "source": "https://www.loc.gov/item/2012630820/", "rights": "No known restrictions on publication.", "license": "No known restrictions on publication (Library of Congress advisory)", "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/482_high.html", "kind": "photograph", "later": true, "originalCaption": "Tobacco barns in Windsor, Connecticut", "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/image-services/iiif/service:pnp:highsm:19400:19412/full/pct:25/0/default.jpg" } ] }