Marsh Stogies 1840 to 2001

If you ever travel across Ohio from west to east you reach the eastern border at the Ohio River, where on interstate 70 you cross over a bridge past Wheeling West Virginia. The crossing used to be made during pioneer days in Conestoga wagons (hence the term Stogie) via the National Road that crossed the Ohio on the world's longest single span suspension bridge, a bridge which is still very much in service, as previously stated on these pages.

Whether you head east toward or into Wheeling on either bridge, you notice the old Marsh Stogies sign on their former factory brick wall, a bold proclamation in Wheeling testifying to a bygone day, and visible at a fardistance. [The history of the "cheap cigar" is intriguing, and you can read more on this website. http://www.broadleafcigars.com/marsh.htm]

The SR News editor is in touch with, though never met, a woman with the Wheeling Symphony, who briefly corresponded with him after seeing a blurb pertaining to the suspension bridge from the SR News that was reprinted in the Wheeling Intelligencer newspaper.

Finding much in common, including a love of poetry, a near daily Email exchange has been initiated. In a message outlining our captivation with the city of Wheeling we mentioned that Stogie sign painted on the factory building as a landmark to his family on frequent trips to Maryland. We have stopped in Wheeling overnight on those trips. Dawn walks across the swinging suspension bridge to Wheeling Island have ensued, photographs taken, poems written, and people interviewed.

Lo and behold, a gift box arrived at SR headquarters a couple days ago. Our correspondent sent a box of Wheeling gifts and miscellany, and tucked into the bottom of the parcel was a Marsh stogie cigar box, like a previously mentioned Cracker Jack prize. People have made guitar bases from such sturdy boxes.

This cigar box, now a collectors' item, since the Marsh company folded in 2001 after all those years, holds some non-cigar treasures now that it has reached the raccoonland shore: the life-long-carried lucky stone found in Lake Michigan at Northport, and the medal the editor's mother won for English skills at Sun Prairie high school in 1931. A clipping from this kind donor about Wheeling's days as a steamship builder is also kept in the Marsh Stogie box.

You just never know who you might meet on the internet.

Note: The price of Marsh cigars was at one time - per the tag on this box - up to 2 for 41 cents, a far cry from Marsh's original nickel cigar era.