Adams Tobacco Company
W.A. Adams Company was established in 1885 and celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1985. Adams was a small independent buyer and processor of leaf tobacco, mostly for the international markets. The company was a large part of Oxford's economy, as it bought and sold tobacco in the far east, South America and Europe. Until shortly after World War II the Oxford market drew tobacco for an eighty mile radius. After the war the draw diminished due to creation of markets in areas where they previously didn't exist.
April 15, 1938 -- A large addition to the plant of the W. A. Adams Company on Hillsboro Street is being erected by Wells Lumber Company. The new building, facing Hillsboro Street, will be used as a leaf room with the offices of the company located in the front of the structure on Hillsboro Street. The structure will be of brick, 175 feet deep by 75 feet wide, single story with adequate sky lights to provide the best possible working conditions. The addition to the plant is the second made within a 6-year period. In 1932, a large new building was erected and new equipment, including an enlarged re-drying plant, installed. E. A. Jackson, who a number of years ago was connected with the W. A. Adams Company, designed and directed the installation of a new ordering machine on the second floor of the present factory building. He is now chief engineer for the J. P. Taylor Company of Richmond. The new building will give the Adams Company, largest of the independent dealers here and one of the heaviest buyers on the Oxford market, an increased space for factory operations, including re-drying, stemming and other processes. The leaf will be received from the warehouses in the new building, inspected and then moved steadily into the factory proper. Mr. (Andrew) Jamieson said that faster marketing of their crops by growers and faster sales on warehouse floors had made it necessary to give tobacco a more thorough inspection after it is moved from the warehouse.
W.A. Adams Company was established in 1885 and celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1985. Adams was a small independent buyer and processor of leaf tobacco, mostly for the international markets. The company was a large part of Oxford's economy, as it bought and sold tobacco in the far east, South America and Europe. Until shortly after World War II the Oxford market drew tobacco for an eighty mile radius. After the war the draw diminished due to creation of markets in areas where they previously didn't exist.
April 15, 1938 -- A large addition to the plant of the W. A. Adams Company on Hillsboro Street is being erected by Wells Lumber Company. The new building, facing Hillsboro Street, will be used as a leaf room with the offices of the company located in the front of the structure on Hillsboro Street. The structure will be of brick, 175 feet deep by 75 feet wide, single story with adequate sky lights to provide the best possible working conditions. The addition to the plant is the second made within a 6-year period. In 1932, a large new building was erected and new equipment, including an enlarged re-drying plant, installed. E. A. Jackson, who a number of years ago was connected with the W. A. Adams Company, designed and directed the installation of a new ordering machine on the second floor of the present factory building. He is now chief engineer for the J. P. Taylor Company of Richmond. The new building will give the Adams Company, largest of the independent dealers here and one of the heaviest buyers on the Oxford market, an increased space for factory operations, including re-drying, stemming and other processes. The leaf will be received from the warehouses in the new building, inspected and then moved steadily into the factory proper. Mr. (Andrew) Jamieson said that faster marketing of their crops by growers and faster sales on warehouse floors had made it necessary to give tobacco a more thorough inspection after it is moved from the warehouse.