In my last column, we talked about the early attempt to grow tobacco in the Capital District. Elsewhere in New York State, tobacco production experienced greater success than it did around Albany. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, farmers in Onondaga County, the Southern Tier, and parts of western New York cultivated tobacco commercially. Entire communities became associated with the crop, complete with curing barns, warehouses, and cigar factories. In places such as Clay, Van Buren, and Lysander, tobacco fields were once common sights, and local economies depended upon both farming and cigar manufacturing.

Troy also had several cigar makers. Fitzpatrick & Draper, tobacconists, at 339 River, and cigar mfrs., located at Front near Grand. They made their own brands: Flor de Garcia, F. & D. Perfecto and Trojan Cigars. Other cigar makers were Charles Coughlin, 1917 Broadway; George E Landry, 1615 Broadway; and Matthew McGuire, 1807 Broadway. There were 271 people listed in the 1909 Troy Directory as cigar makers.

Several factors prevented tobacco from becoming a major Capital District crop. The Hudson Valley’s shorter growing season, cooler climate, and heavier soils generally favored wheat,........

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