January 15, 2010

Ever pick tobacco in Connecticut?

I'd love to hear what it was like from anyone willing to talk on the record or send me their own written account. If you know anything in particular about the Cullman Bros tobacco farm in Simsbury, that would be even better.
You can write me at scollins@centralctcommunications.com. If you want to talk rather than write, just give me your name and phone number.
Oh, and if you have any photos, I'd really love to hear from you.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I once picked my feet in Poughkeepsie. - Popeye Doyle

conn man said...

I worked for culbro tobacco back in the early 60's . They had fields in Simsbury . I think it was around 1961 or 1962

I used to pick up a bus every morning in the Tinty's parking lot @ the end of the boulevard in Bristol .

A history teacher from Bristol used to drive the school bus as his summer job .

I do not have any photos from the fields .

They housed a large number of workers from Puerto Rico and the southern states , but I never 'lived' there for the summer .

Anonymous said...

I don't remember the name but I worked 2 days.I picked under the tents and the first day I had 4 garden snakes in my rows.You were on your hands and knees all day.I went back the second day and found 6 more garden snakes and a copperhead before lunch.I ate my lunch and then I went to my boss and quit because of the snakes.Petrified of them!It was 1978 and I was 15 years old at the time.I forgot the department but the City of Bristol helped me get the job.I was making 2.25 a hour.I agree with Conn Man,about the imported workers that lived there.I did my paper route and worked that summer for Petey Bucks on catering jobs.

Anonymous said...

I remember both my older brothers picking tobacco every summer.We lived in Bristol CT. They would leave the house real early and get home all dirty from picking all day. I remember them telling me how hard the work was.