Mail Pouch Factory

Even though they are merchants of death, no trip to Wheeling would be complete without a quick look at the Mail Pouch Tobacco headquarters and factory.

Finding the place involved an excellent photo not taken and one of the stranger moments on the trip.  I only knew that the factory was on the south side of town.  Driving southward from downtown I saw a building that looked like an old factory.  It was but it was the nail plant (Wheeling once was, and still may be for all I know, the country's leading nail manufacturer).  It was noon and sitting outside on a bench were five guys wearing blue work shirts talking and eating their lunch.  They would have made a great picture had they not noticed me driving slowly by.  Oh well.

A few minutes later I came upon the main post office.  I stopped for postcard stamps and asked the woman behind the counter if she knew where the Mail Pouch factory was.  She didn't know what it was or where it was located, but she would check with someone in back.  She went into the back and I stood there waiting, and waiting, and waiting.  After about five minutes I decided she wasn't coming back so I left.  Mail Pouch is about a mile south of the Post Office on the same street.

Comments

[Dane]

A mile away, huh? I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's brand new to town. Because if she's not, then good God.

Love the photos!

[Joe]

Thank you!