cutting & housing audio interviews

Featured Farmers:

Dallas Hamilton, Helen Bourne, Joy Morgan, Harold Malcomb, David Chappell, Gary Hunter, Junior Grisham, Dallas Stafford, and Richard Duvall.

Cutting and housing is number four in the production process and is shown in five panels. Cutting & housing was done in August and early September. It was hard, hot, dirty and back-breaking work. Sticks were dropped in the field so the cutters could have easy access to them. The cutters would push a tobacco stick in the ground so it was standing vertical and place a sharp, metal spear on top of the stick. He would then use his tomahawk (a tool with a wooden handle and sharp blade) to cut the individual stalks of tobacco and spear them on the stick. Workers would pick up the sticks of tobacco, load them on a wagon and take them to the barn for housing. Workers would hang the tobacco sticks on the tiers in the barn and the curing process would begin.

This mural is located 2.9 miles from the junction of Highway 227 and Highway 36 in New Liberty.