ARMINGTON, MYERS & CO.

ARMINGTON, MYERS & CO. In 1867 Armington, Myers and Company was the only tobacco factory in Dubuque. (1) The company was formed in Dubuque by H. W. Armington, Dorrance Dixon MYERS, and J. H. Tice. (2)

The factory used equipment that could cut tobacco quicker than by hand to produce fine cut chew and smoking tobacco. Chew tobacco was made easier to hold in the mouth with the addition of powdered white sugar and ground licorice. "Fragant" was the first brand produced to be followed by other brands like "Sunset," "Home Comfort," and "New Comer." Business was at first limited to areas that could be reached by stagecoach or the ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD. The company was the first of its kind in eastern Iowa. (3)

Armington sold his interest in June 1870 to Walter C. Cox and the company was renamed MYERS, TICE & CO.

The 1867 Dubuque City Directory and the 1868 Guide, Gazetteer and Directory of the Dubuque & Soux (sic) City Railroad stated that this business was located at 63 Main.

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Source:

1. "The Manufacturing Interest," Dubuque Daily Herald, December 15, 1867, p. 4. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jMZCAAAAIBAJ&sjid=casMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3423,6144162&dq=shot+manufacturing+dubuque&hl=en

2. "Myers-Cox Company Records, 1869-1963," ArchiveGrid, Online: http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/collection/data/63675086

3. Oldt, Franklin T. The History of Dubuque County, Iowa, Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1880, p. 660. Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=u9xDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA660&lpg=PA660&dq=ARMINGTON,+MYERS+AND+COMPANY+%28DUBUQUE%29&source=bl&ots=0CpzHKDR7v&sig=DXoNCvzhy1Nn7eFikroEEIZHSJI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VvOjUoGjEITLrgHomoGACg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ARMINGTON%2C%20MYERS%20AND%20COMPANY%20%28DUBUQUE%29&f=false