Details for Site of Willis Cigar Factory
Historical Marker — Atlas Number 5339007909
Data
| Marker Number | 7909 |
| Atlas Number | 5339007909 |
| Marker Title | Site of Willis Cigar Factory |
| Index Entry | Willis Cigar Factory |
| Address | 300 Bell and Waverly |
| City | Willis |
| County | Montgomery |
| UTM Zone | 15 |
| UTM Easting | 261848 |
| UTM Northing | 3368752 |
| Subject Codes | manufacturing |
| Marker Year | 1986 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark | No |
| Marker Location | |
| Private Property | No |
| Marker Condition | In Situ |
| Marker Size | 18" x 28" |
| Marker Text | Following the Civil War, area farmers found the climate and soil conditions of Montgomery County were ideal for the production of tobacco. The varieties grown here were of the highest quality, winning international awards in Chicago and Paris. At the height of local tobacco production, there were eight cigar operations in Willis. One, the Willis Cigar Factory, was located at this site. Founded by Kentucky native Capt. Thomas Wesley Smith (1829-1901), a Civil War veteran and former sheriff, it remained in operation until the early 1900s. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |