Historic Treasure of the Week - November 21,
1982
By Dorothy W. Jerse
Curator, Vigo County Historical Society
One of the treasures in the collection of the Vigo County Historical Society is this tobacco press. It was the gift of Anna Piepenbrick Moulton, daughter of William C. Piepenbrick, Terre Haute cigar manufacturer. The information provided with the 1958 accession form reads:
"The press and accompanying cigar molds were used by the late William C. Piepenbrick from 1890 to 1915 in his business of cigar manufacturer in his shop located on the rear of the Piepenbrick residence at 1207 South Fifth Street.
"Cigars were made by hand; and at such times as the molds were used the filler was rolled in a binder and the cigars placed in the mold and the molds put in the press. Later when the molds were removed from the press the cigars were finished with a sumatra wrapper. They were then packed in boxes, each row having been carefully sorted as to color."
Piepenbrink's two particular brands were the popular "Willie Bill" five cent cigar and the havana filled "Rosa Donita" ten center.
To realize the extent of the popularity of cigars in the past, one must take notice of the large number of cigar manufacturers that were in business in the city of Terre Haute alone. The 1989 City Directory lists 22 cigar manufacturers in addition to Piepenbrink.
They were Leon Barasch, Fred J. Biel, Thomas Boland, Hartke & Stoehr, Carl A. Heckelsberg, Frank C. Heckelsberg and M. Hegarty.
Also, William Hoff, Henry Koch, Henry Meinberg, J.A. Miller, Charles Rau, Ludolph Rottmann and C.H. Seeman.
Also, Herman Siebenmorgen, William A. Todd, Benjamin Volker, Nicholas Wagner, Philip Weldele, Edward West, J. Christian Wirth and F.W. Zau.
This tobacco press is on display in the Guy Stantz Room of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 South Sixth Street. Open hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday. The museum is closed Saturday and holidays, including Thanksgiving Day.