Hill's Wilson (Wilson County, N.C.) City Directory [1962], Part 1

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1962
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 626


USA > North Carolina > Wilson County > Wilson > Hill's Wilson (Wilson County, N.C.) City Directory [1962] > Part 1


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72


General


ANDERSON, DEANS & WOODARD, INC.


L. P. GAS PROPANE


WHITLEY'S ELECTRIC SERVICE U S Hwy. 301 South Tel. 237-0135


NO


H


Appliances


1 ST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF. NORTH CAROLINA


MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION


MEMBER FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Capable and Courteous Service To This Community


RESOURCES OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS


4 convenient offices in Wilson to serve you


Branch BANKING & TRUST COMPANY NORTH CAROLINA'S OLDEST BANK . OFFICES IN 21 CAROLINA COMMUNITIES Member Federol Deposit Insurance Corporation


ATLANTIC SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION Incorporated 1907 - Over 55 Years of Continuous Service INSURED SAVINGS ACCOUNTS SAVING LAHTY OF YOUR SAVINGS DIRECT REDUCTION LOANS INSURED . NOLIV INS UP TO $10,000 RANCE CORPOR Tel. 237-1175 Cor. W. Nash and Bragg


Thomas yelverton Go BETTER FURNITURE


Dial 243-3121 Funeral Home - Ambulance Service Dial 237-2716


TIRE SERVICE, Inc. 740 S. GOLDSBORO STREET TEL. 24 3-5932


COMPLETE TIRE RECAPPING SERVICE


The Home of Quality Recapping


PURE


rown


Inc.


OIL CO.


FUEL OIL Dial 237-0126 GASOLINE


Burning Oil Puritan


GULF


WARRENGAS


THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA


LUX


LIZEDTAS


THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA PRESENTED BY


Greensboro Chamber of Commerce


QUINN & CO. A


Home of Circulators - Floor Plan Carpets uggage - Zenith Television


The HOOVER ELECTRIC SUCTION SWEEPER


ING NATIONAL FURNITURE LINES


Sales and Service, Wilson, N. C. SANDIFER-BATTS PONTIAC CO 115 S. LODGE.ST.


C971.98 W74h 1962


RECUNY


TWIN SEURS & RARVE


FURNITURE & KUOS


MILGE RABIC.


CAROLINA'S FINEST STORE AIR CONDITIONED FOR YOUR COMFORT


FOR UNUSUAL GIFTS SEE OUR GIFT SHOP First Floor


FOR EXPERT ADVICE CONSULT OUR INTERIOR DECORATOR


135-37 S. Goldsboro St.


Tel. 24 3-3188


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY


PONTIAC


PHONE_227-1111CADILLAC


B


Hotel Cherry


AN ALSONETT HOTEL


SOCIAL AND BUSINESS CENTER


200 ROOMS -- Abs AIR CONDITIONING ar


This book must not be taken from the Library building.


VISIT OUR H( OPEN FROM 6:30 A.M. " SUNDAY 8:00 A.


SUNDAY BUFFET LU


In a Hurry? Prefer Informality? Then Right!" Here you'll enjay fine faad tast est prices. It's an air canditianed raam ta


CALL US PRIVATE DINNERS, I


GORMAN WE


Tel. 24 3-2144


WILSON CITY DIRECTORY


Form No. 471


REAL ESTATE


107 N. Douglas St.


TIN SHOP


GEORGE H. BARNES


THE LARGEST RENTAL BUSINESS IN THE CITY


R. E . TOWNSEND


& CO


Phone 243-3216


INSURANCE


-


C


IF IT'S YOUR MOVE CALL ELTON C. SMITH


LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE MOV'A"


· WOLLTE PANCHINE.


SERVICE


Local and Long Distance SPECIALIST in Moving and Storage


PACKING and CRATING


INSURED CARRIER · FREE ESTIMATES


MOVING? Forget Details-


Dial 243 -5273


ELTON C. SMITH


DOWNING ST. EXTN.


WILSON, N .C.


Hill's WILSON


(WILSON COUNTY, N. C.]


CITY DIRECTORY 1962


CONTAINS:


. Buyers' Guide and a complete classified business directory


· Alphabetical directory of business concerns and private citizens


. Complete street and avenue guide, including householders, and occupants of office buildings and other business places


. Numerical telephone directory


PLUS


Useful and interesting information about the city


PRICE $35.00


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY PUBLISHERS 2910 W. CLAY ST. . P.O. BOX 6874 RICHMOND 30, VA. Member Association of North American Directory Publishers Copyright, 1962, by Hill Directory Company


Excerpt from Section 104, Title 17 United States Code Annotated


WILLFUL INFRINGEMENT FOR PROFIT .-- Any person who will- fully ond for profit sholl infringe ony copyright secured by this title, or who shall knowingly ond willfully aid or abet such infringement, shall be deemed guilty of o misdemeanor, ond upon conviction thereof sholl be punished by imprisonment for not exceeding one year or by o fine of not less thon $ 100 nor more thon $1,000, or both, in the dis- cretion of the court.


ASSOCIATION OF


PRO Bowo


RBLico


NORTH AMERICAN


1898


ZEO


DIRT DIRTODI PIO


DIRECTORY “


PUBLISHERS


PUBLISHERS NOTE


The information in this Directory is gothered by on octuol convoss ond is compiled in o woy to insure moximum occuracy.


The publishers connot ond do not guorontee the correctness of oll informotion furnished them nor the complete absence of errors or omissions, hence no responsibility for same con be or is ossumed.


The publishers earnestly request the bringing to their ottention of ony inaccuracy so thot it may be corrected in the next edition of the directory.


Hill Directory Company, Publishers


INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INDEX


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY, publishers of Southeastern Directories (pub- lishers of the Wilson City Directory since 1908), presents to subscribers and the general public, this, the 1962 edition of the Wilson City Directory.


Confidence in the growth of Wilson's industry, population and wealth, and in the advancement of its civic and social activities, will be maintained as sections of this Directory are consulted, for the Directory is a mirror truly reflecting Wilson to the world.


The enviable position occupied by HILL'S Directories in the estimation of the public, has been established by rendering the best in Directory service, With an unrivaled organization, and having had the courteous and hearty cooperation of the business and professional men and residents, the publishers feel that the result of their labors will meet with the approval of every user, and that the Wilson Directory will fulfill its mission as a source of authentic information pertaining to the city.


Four Major Departments


The four major departments are arranged in the following order: --


I. THE BUYERS' GUIDE constitutes the first major department of the Di- rectory, printed on yellow paper. In the first section of this department, grouped under appropriate headings, are included the advertisements and business cards of firms and individuals desiring to make a complete pre- sentation of their products or services. Following this is the Classified Business section, which embraces a list of the names and addresses of all business and professional concerns of the city (or community); arranged in alphabetical order under appropriate headings -- a catalog of all the activities of the city (or community). The Buyers' Guide represents reference adver- tising at its best, and merits the attention of all buyers and sellers seeking sources of supply or markets for goods. In a busy and diversified community like Wilson, the necessity of having this kind of information up-to-date and always immediately available, is obvious. The Directory is the common intermediary between buyers and seller, and plays an important role in the daily activities of the commercial, industrial and professional world.


II. THE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF NAMES of residents and business and professional concerns, is the second major department, printed on white paper. This is the only record in existence that aims to show the name, marital status, occupation and address of each adult resident of Wilson, and the name, official personnel, nature and address of each firm and corporation in the city.


III. THE DIRECTORY OF HOUSEHOLDERS, INCLUDING STREET AND AV- ENUE GUIDE is the third major department, printed on green paper. In this section the numbered streets are arranged in numerical order, followed by the named streets in alphabetical order; the numbers of the residences and business concerns are arranged in numerical order under the name of each street, and the names of the householders and concerns are placed opposite the numbers. The names of the intersecting streets appear at their respective crossing points on each street. Special features of this section are the designation of tenant- owned homes and the listing of telephone numbers.


IV. THE NUMERICAL TELEPHONE DIRECTORY is the fourth major depart- ment, printed on blue paper.


Municipal Publicity


The Directory reflects the achievements and ambitions of the community, depicting in unbiased terms what it has to offer as a place of residence, as a business location, as a manufacturing site and as an educational center. To broadcast this information, the publishers have placed copies of this issue of


IV


INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INDEX


the Directory in Directory Libraries, where they are readily available for free public reference, and serve as perpetual and reliable advertisements of Wilson and vicinity.


The Wilson Out-of-Town City Directory Library


Through the courtesy of the publishers of the Wilson City Directory, a Di- rectory Library is maintained in the offices of the Wilson Chamber of Com- merce, forfree reference by the general public. This is one of more than 1,000 Directory Libraries installed and maintained in the chief cities and towns through- out the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico through the courtesy of members of the Association of North American Directory Publishers, under whose super- vision the system is operated.


The publishers appreciatively acknowledge the recognition by those pro- gressive business and professional men who have demonstrated their confidence in the City Directory as an advertising medium, with assurance that it will bring a commensurate return.


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY, Publishers.


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Page numbers below refer to the Buyers' Guide Section


Page


A-1 City Cab Co . right bottom lines and


110


Agnew - Barnes Tin Shop


. left top cards and 102


Alford's E V Esso Servicenter


left bottom lines and 12


Anderson, Deans & Woodard Inc . . front cover, left top lines and 65 Atlantic Savings & Loan Association . front cover, left side lines and 104 4


B-K Sales & Service . right bottom cards and


Bailey Paint & Wallpaper Co.


X


Baker Henry Heating Co left bottom lines and


33


Baltzegar James W .


.left side lines and 31


Barnes George H Tin Shop


tabbed Insert at Phones Numerically and


101


Barnes Truck Line Inc


right bottom lines, Insert at Freight Lines


113


Barrett's Printing House left bottom lines and


92


Batts James A .


right bottom cards and


95


Beland R F Plumbing & Heating Contractor


back cover, right top


Beland's Auto Supply


right bottom lines and 13


Bissette's Drug Stores


Blair's Shoes .


right bottom cards, 107 and


Blue Cross-Blue Shield .


back cover, left top cards and


Blue Star Cab left side lines and


Boone & Lee Printing Co


Boykin's Upholstering Service.


. right side lines and


Branch Banking & Trust Co.


.front cover, left top lines, Insert at


Name in Alphabetical Section, 16, 17 and 114


Braswell Carpet Service . left bottom lines and 103 83


Bridgers Paint & Wallpaper Co . right side lines and


Brown Oil Co Inc . front cover, left bottom lines, Insert at Street . Guide, 48 and 80


Bruce's Hot Dog Stand


Carolina Builders Supply Co .


right bottom cards and


Carolina Laundry & Cleaners Inc .


.right top lines, Insert at Name


Carolina Propane Gas Co


. right top lines and


B


Churchwell's Inc.


left top lines and


71 6


Darden Memorial Funeral Home


Deans Robert E Plumbing, Heating & Gas Contractor.


Dew & Baldree Heating & Roofing


Dixie Letter Service


. right side lines and 73


Dixie Supply Co


right side lines and 27


Ellen's Electrical Service


right side lines and


Ellis J B & Co


.right bottom lines, 44 and


Etheridge Plumbing Co


left side lines and 89 29


Exclusive Cleaning Co


. left top cards and


Farmer Sinclair Service Station


left side lines and 106 18


First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co . right bottom lines and


First Union National Bank of Wilson, North Carolina , front cover,


right top lines and 19


Five Points Nursery & Floral Co


46


Gray Concrete Pipe Co Inc


back cover, left top lines and 30


Hackney John Agency Inc


Hackney Seat Cover Center


Hamilton Funeral Home


Hayes Robert A


Hemby's Beauty Salon


left top cards and


Herring Tractor & Truck Company


right top cards and


2


Hicks & Batts Auto Service Inc


right top cards and


8


High B J Insulation Co


left top lines and


14


High Incorporated .


right top lines and


14


Hill Directory Company


38


99 27


Central Shell Service .


left bottom lines and


Cherry Hotel


left bottom cards and in Alphabetical Section and 72 61 5


Corbett Motor Co Inc


left top lines and


right side lines and 52 Y 102


left bottom cards and


Electric Motor Service


left bottom lines and


39 42 110


Goodyear Service Store . right side lines and


112


. left side lines and 67 left side lines and 7 55 left top lines and 67 21


in Classified Business Directory and


. lines, 64 and 88


. left bottom lines and 39 108 66 109 left bottom cards and 93 115


VI


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


Page


Hillside Florist Inc .


bottom stencil and 45


Hollowell Mae Beauty Shop


right bottom cards and 20


Home Builders Supply Co Inc .


.front stencil, right side lines, 23 and 74


Hospital Saving Assn of NC


back cover, left top cards and 66


Hotel Cherry .


.right top lines and


B


Hunt Funeral Home Inc


back cover, right top lines, Insert at


Name in Alphabetical Section and 53


Ideal Plumbing Co


.left bottom lines and 90


Imogene's Beauty Shop


right bottom cards and 20


Independent Ice & Fuel Co


back cover, 21 and


50 20


Jefferson Gas & Appliance Co


left top lines and


59


Jim's Camera Center


left bottom lines and 62


Joe's Beauty Shop


left bottom cards and 21


Johnson Furniture Co Inc .


left side lines and


Jones Cooling & Heating Inc


. left top lines and


Jones John H Painting Contractor


left bottom cards and


Jordan Construction Co


. left side lines and 32


Joyner's Funeral Home


back cover, left top lines and


Joyner's Memorial Co


. left top cards and


Lamm Bruce .


. left side lines and


Lamm Cecil B & Co


. left bottom lines, 68 and


Linstone Inc . . .right bottom lines and


Little Flower Shop


left bottom lines and


Lou-Ann Florist


.right side lines and


Lupe's Seafood Co


right side lines and


M & W Grocery


left top cards and


Mary's Cafe .


right bottom cards and


Mello Ice Cream Co.


.left side lines and


Milan Oil Co.


right bottom lines and


39


Newton Mutual Insurance Agency


left bottom lines and 70


Nowell's Sport Summit Motors left top cards and 58


Nu-Art Sign


left top cards and


37


Pinkie's Wash & Dry .


left top lines


Provident Finance Co


right top cards and 73


Purity Bakery Inc


right top lines and 15


Quinn R E & Co


A and


Red Bird Cab Inc


left side lines and


56 109


Robbins Jewelry & Music


right top cards and


87 77 100


Sandifer-Batts Pontiac Co


front lip margin and


10


Sanitary Fruit Market


right top cards and


63


Saulter's Sinclair Service


.left side lines and


107


Sealtest Foods Southern Division


. right top lines and


34 86 83


Sister Mohawk


left bottom cards and


85


Smith Bros of Wilson


left bottom cards and


33


Smith-Dillard Agency


right bottom cards and


70 C


Southern Testing & Research Laboratories right top cards and 98 47


Starr The Florist . .left bottom cards and


left bottom lines and


Strickland H H.


Suburban Rulane Gas Service of NC Inc. . . back cover, right top lines and Swift & Co .


Thomas- Yelverton Co.


.front cover


Thompson George A Plumbing Co Inc


left top cards and 91


Tire Service Inc .


front cover and 111


Tobacco City Motors Inc


. left top lines and


12


Townsend R E & Co. back lip margin, left top cards and


94


Tyson-Thompson Insurance Agency . .right bottom cards and


68


United TV & Electronics Service Co


left bottom cards and 70


63 99


Merchant Delivery Service


36 36


Moore's Auto Body & Paint Shop


50 9


Morrison's Drug Store.


O & P Manufacturing Co


108 28


Oettinger's The Dependable Store.


Reid W C & Co .


Rosa's Restaurant.


Shackelford Paving Co .


Insert at Name in Alphabetical Section and


Sherwin-Williams Co The.


Smith Elton C. .


right bottom cards and 76


Thomas- Yelverton Funeral Home .


.front cover


Stephenson Millwork Co Inc


25 22 60


Jane's Beauty Shop


58 2 84


54 77 29 95 24 46


47 105


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


Page


Vann's Inc Electrical Appliances left bottom cards and 41


Vaughan's Jewelry & Music Store . right bottom cards and 98


Vester & Barnes Upholstery Service . left bottom cards and 116


W GT M Radio Station left bottom cards and 93


Wayne Dairy Inc . right bottom lines and


35


Welfare R C Oil Co top stencil, right bottom lines, 51 and


82


Wells Texaco Service Station


107


. left bottom cards and Weslin Clothiers Inc


29


Wheeler Washer Service left top cards and


116


Whitehead Insurance Agency Inc left top lines, 69 and 96


Whitley's Electric Service front cover, right top lines and 40


Whitley's Pure Oil Service


right bottom cards and 13


Williams Lumber Co . backbone, right side lines, 26 and


right side lines and


75 3 97


Wilson Board of Realtors


Wilson Chamber of Commerce The.


Z


Wilson Daily Times The


left side lines and 78


Wilson Electric Co Inc


41


Wilson Fertilizer Co Inc


right top cards and 43


Wilson Insurance & Realty Co Inc


69 and 96


Wilson Oil Corp


right bottom lines and 82 81


Wilson Savings & Loan Association The left side lines and


Winbon's Gulf Service . .


right side lines and


Winstead Wade H Typewriter & Adding Machine Service.


28


Woodall L C .


57


.right bottom lines and Woodard C Co Inc


.right side lines and


79


Woodard Herbert .


left bottom cards and 106


Woodard P L & Co Inc


. left top cards and 43


Yvonne's Hair Styling.


63


VII


Wilson Petroleum Co. back cover, left top cards, 49 and


105 11


Wilson Air Service & Sales Inc


FAIR PRACTICE CODE for ADVERTISING and SELLING recommended by the ASSOCIATION OF BETTER BUSINESS BUREAUS, INC.


1. Serve the public with honest values.


11. Tell the truth about what is offered.


111. Tell the truth in a forthright manner so its significance may be understood by the trusting as well as the analytical.


IV. Tell customers what they want to know - what they have a right to know and ought to know about what is offered so that they may buy wisely and obtain the maximum satisfaction from their purchases.


V. Be prepared and willing to make good as pro- mised and without quibble on any guarantee offered.


VI. Be sure that the normal use of merchandise or services offered will not be hazardous to public health or life.


VII. Reveal material facts, the deceptive conceal- ment of which might cause consumers to be misled.


VIII. Advertise and sell merchandise or service on its merit and refrain from attacking your competitors or reflecting unfairly upon their products, services, or methods of doing business.


IX. If testimonials are used, use only those of com- petent witnesses who are sincere and honest in what they say about what you sell.


X. Avoid all tricky devices and schemes such as deceitful trade-in allowances, fictitious list prices, false and exaggerated comparative prices, bait adver- tising, misleading free offers, fake sales and similar practices which prey upon human ignorance and gullibility.


WILSON


"AMERICA'S LARGEST BRIGHT LEAF TOBACCO MARKET: THE CITY OF BEAUTIFUL TREES"


(Courtesy Wilson Chamber of Commerce)


Statistical Review


Form of Government-City manager-aldermanic.


Population-1960 census, 28,753. American-born, 99 %. Predominating na- tionalities of foreign born residents, Greek, Syrian and Albanian.


Area -- 7.02 square miles.


Altitude-145 feet above sea level.


Climate-Average annual temperature, 60.8 degrees F .; average rainfall, 48.1 inches.


Parks -- 12 public.


Assessed Valuation -- $52,565, 946 (1961).


Bonded Debt-$5,963,000 (1961).


Financial Data-Three banks with resources in excess of $650,000,000.


Postal Receipts -- $321,000 (1961).


Churches -- 23, representing 12 denominations.


Industry -- Principal manufactured products: textiles, garments, bus and truck bodies, agricultural implements, fertilizers, vegetable oil, concrete pipe and blocks, and food products. Ninety-seven manufacturing plants in the city and county provide year round work for 5,000 employees, and seasonal employment, principally in tobacco redrying plants, for 2,300 workers.


Trade Area-Retail trade area has radius of 20 miles and population of 120, - 000; wholesale area, radius of 100 miles, and population of 1,800,000.


Newspapers -- One daily (except Sunday) -- the Wilson Daily Times.


Radio Stations-WGTM (5,000 watts), WVOT (1,000 watts), and WLLY (1,000 watts).


Hotels and Motels-One hotel with 158 rooms, eleven motels with total of 282 rooms.


Railroads-Two, Atlantic Coast Line and Norfolk & Southern.


Motor Freight Lines -- Six.


Highways -- U. S. 117, 264, 301, N. C. State 42 and 58.


Amusements-Largest auditorium in city (Junior High School) seats 1,400. Five motion picture theatres, with total seating capacity of 3,175; one drive-in theatre; one 18-hole golf course, two 9-hole golf courses; three swimming pools; one skating rink; a bowling alley.


Hospitals-3, with total of 186 beds. 250-bed county hospital under construc- tion.


Education-Atlantic Christian College fully accredited; 10 public schools, in- cluding two senior high schools, and one junior high; three parochial schools.


City Statistics-Total street mileage, 104 with 78 miles paved. Miles of gas mains, 80; sewers, 80. Number of water meters, 8,354; light meters, 9,847; gas meters, 3,187. Capacity of water works (municipal), 10,000, 000 gallons; daily average pumpage, 4,225,000 gallons; miles of mains, 116; value of electric, gas and water property, $7,669,639. Fire department has 37 men, with 3 stations and 7 pieces of motor equipment. Police department has 40 men with 1 station and 8 pieces of motor equipment.


General Summary


Wilson was incorporated January 29, 1849, and is known as "America's Largest Bright-Leaf Tobacco Market", and "The City of Beautiful Trees."


' The first tobacco warehouse was constructed in Wilson in 1890. It proved very successful as a convenience to the farmers, as well as a profitable busi- ness enterprise for the owners. From the beginning, Wilson proved popular as a tobacco market. That this popularity has increased is evidenced by Wilson's phenomenal growth in this respect, the city having gained distinction of being America's largest bright leaf market. Although a tobacco center, Wilson has other industries that contribute materially to its payroll and welfare.


Wilson is the county seat of Wilson County, and the largest of ten townships. Wilson County was named for the Hon. Louis D. Wilson, long a member of the


X


INTRODUCTION


Aerial View of Business Area of Wilson


Senate, from Edgecombe County and a volunteer in the Mexican War. By the U. S. Census of 1960, the county population was 57,716.


Industries


To trace the background of Wilson's industrial program, special reference should be made to its first industry, established in 1854 under the name of Hack- ney Bros., engaged in the manufacture of buggies. Later, there came a rapid change in vehicles, with automobiles replacing buggies. In keeping with this de- velopment, Hackney Bros, discontinued the manufacture of buggies in 1919, re- organizing under the name of Hackney Bros. Body Co. Since that time this com- pany has engaged in manufacturing the latest types of commercial bus bodies. Industrial growth over the years has contributed greatly to the economy of the area. There are now 97 manufacturing plants in Wilson and Wilson County em- ploying some 5,000 persons. Principal products are food, textiles, apparel, lumber and wood, fertilizers, concrete, truck and bus bodies, transportation equipment, agricultural implements, livestock feeds, and electronic equipment.


Wilson, America's Largest Tobacco Market


More than anything else, tobacco has given Wilson an international reputa- tion, for it is "America's Largest Bright Leaf Tobacco Market"


The Wilson tobacco market has 19 auction warehouses, with a combined floor space of 1, 799,135 square feet. These huge one-story buildings are lighted with numerous sky-lights, for quality of tobacco is judged by color as well as by texture and aroma. When the farmer brings his tobacco to the warehouse of his choice, it is placed on shallow baskets with a maximum of 300 pounds to the basket. Thesebaskets are then placed in long rows on the warehouse floor. The auctioneer and the buyers then walk along the rows and each basket is sold in- dividually at the rate of 400 baskets per hour, or a sale every nine seconds. During the season, which runs from mid-August until about Thanksgiving, sales are conducted simultaneously at five warehouses, with at least nine buyers taking part in each of the sales. During the 1961 season, the Wilson market sold 79, - 499,606 pounds for $52,720,171.59, an average of $66.32 per hundred pounds.


Wilson has eight tobacco redrying plants and three plants which pack and ship the green tobacco. These redrying plants are capable of processing 2, 500, - 000 pounds daily and handle tobacco from markets throughout the brightleaf belt which extends from Florida to Virginia. In these plants, the tobacco passes through the redrying machines that remove all of the moisture and then through a steam bath which raises the moisture content to approximately 11 percent. It is then packed in large hogsheads holding an average of 950 pounds each. After this processing, tobacco will keep indefinitely. Normally it remains in storage for at least two years before being used in cigarettes.


XI


INTRODUCTION


Scene in a Tobacco Warehouse, in America's Largest Bright Leaf Tobacco Market


Agriculture


Wilson is primarily an agricultural county, with about 80 percent of its in- come derived directly or indirectly from agriculture. The principal crops are tobacco, cotton and corn. Livestock production is rapidly increasing in impor- tance. In 1959, Swift & Company opened a major meat packing plant, which pro- cesses 175,000 hogs, 35,000 cattle, and 35,000 calves annually.




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