I didn't know what I was going to write about today, then opened my e-mail. Included was the invitation reminding all us "barnstormers" of the Mail Pouch Barn Picnic to be held July 28 in Belmont, Ohio, in the school gym. Belmont was where Harley Warrick lived. He was classified as "The Last Barn Painter".
Upon his discharge from the military at the close of WW II, Harley was employed by the Bloch Bros. Tobacco Company in Wheeling WV. He was their official "barn painter". He painted the Mail Pouch logo on barns until his retirement in 2000.
So what is it about the Mail Pouch barns that has inspired an organization called the Barnstormers, to meet, eat, and share once a year in Belmont? It is their love of history, of the old barns, and of the trying to preserve that small part of our history.
In the early 1900's Bloch Bros Tobacco Co manufactured cigars and stogies. The tobacco trimmings from said cigars were then mixed with licorice flavoring (back then that was it), packaged and sold as chewing tobacco.
And so they needed a name for this tobacco. The, then, general store in the Wheeling held a contest. You put the name you thought the tobacco should have on a piece of paper and put it in a large container on the counter.
The name MAIL POUCH was submitted by a man who had been a pony express rider carrying the mail. He thought the tobacco pouches resembled the mail pouches, but on a far smaller scale. And so the tobacco was named.
Now, about advertising. The powers that be in the company at that time hit on the idea of creating a Mail Pouch sign, which would be painted on the sides of barns throughout the area, visible from the roads. Remember, this was the day of horse drawn wagons.
And so a group of barn painters were hired, an area was designated for the signs, which was a 600 mile radius of Wheeling W.V. The painters would be on the road 7-8 months a year, staying with whatever farmer was permitting them to paint this logo on their barn.
In return the farmers received a small annual sum of money in payment. It was during the great depression that this guaranteed sum enabled the farmers to pay their taxes, and by the same token keep from losing their farms.
During WW II the practice was dis-continued, until Harley. The tobacco company never expanded their area, staying in the 600 mile radius of Wheeling.
Today these barns are disappearing at an alarming rate. Progress, you know. Hence the Barnstormers. One of the things this organization does is donate time and/or money to folks wanting to repair or restore their barns. They submit their requests, at the annual picnic the requests are discussed, and one, sometimes two, are chosen to receive the aid requested.
We also have a fantastic buffet lunch, a business meeting, an auction of all sorts of Mail Pouch memorabilia donated by the different members. That is how we are able to financially help maintain some of the Mail Pouch Barns.
The picnic is open to everyone with an interest in the Mail Pouch Barns. If you decide to become a member, the annual dues is $15.00, and you receive a quarterly newsletter with pictures and stories and information on what the organization is accomplishing.
The picnic is a fun day. From 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. we browse the MP things that are for sale, then from 11 until noon, approximately, is the business meeting. Then LUNCH!! After lunch there is usually a guest speaker, and then the auction. Talk about fun. The picnic usually breaks up about 4 p.m., and we have members from all over the country that plan part of their vacation to be at Belmont and the picnic.
Come join us. You won't be disappointed.
Perhaps now when you are driving and you see an old Mail Pouch barn, it will make you think, and remember, what an important part they played in our local history.
I hope you have enjoyed this little piece of history, stay warm, and God Bless.
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