Rekindled: Rolling Through History - The Rise of Cigar Companies in Nacogdoches (Part 9)

Gallery 107: Where Nacogdoches History Comes Alive

From our vantage point on Main Street, if you glance across to the far side of Church Street, you can't miss the charming old building known as Gallery 107. It's a striking piece of history. The details that follow come straight from the March 1969 edition of the East Texas Historical Journal, Volume 7, Issue 1.

Professor and Mrs. Reese Kennedy took on the task of remodeling this fascinating old house in Nacogdoches. Professor Kennedy, an art instructor at Stephen F. Austin State College, and Mrs. Kennedy, also an artist, saw potential where others saw decay. Situated half a block off Main Street, the building faces Church Street indirectly, with its back stretching along Pilar Street.

Built in 1898, the property began its story when E. A. Blount deeded the lot to W.Y. Bailey and his wife on February 16 of that year. Over the decades, the building changed hands several times, with owners including E.C. Branch, N.D. Naman, and S.B. Hayter. On February 19, 1942, S.B. Hayter and his wife passed the property to their daughter, and finally, in October 1967, the Kennedys purchased the building.

By then, it had sat unsold for so long that its weathered "For Sale" sign was barely legible. According to the Kennedys, the only inhabitants of the top two floors at that time were mud daubers and spiders.

Throughout its life, the building served many purposes. It housed a buggy shop, a cigar factory, a newspaper plant, a laundry, a florist shop, a music studio, and a paint shop. For thirty-five years, the Baker Printing Company occupied the first floor before relocating in 1967, leaving the building empty and waiting.

The Kennedys had a vision. Part of the first floor became their studio-workshop, while the remainder transformed into an art gallery. The second floor also served as gallery space, along with the family’s kitchen and dining room. The third floor? Cozy rooms for the family to call home.

Professor Kennedy captured the building's transformation through pen and ink drawings, preserving its journey from abandonment to artistic haven. Today, Gallery 107 stands as a rare gem in East Texas, evoking the feel of New Orleans more than Nacogdoches.

If you find yourself near 107 S. Church St., take a moment to appreciate this remarkable piece of local history—a building that tells a story of art, restoration, and enduring charm.

Bonita Cigars and the Legacy of the Wettermark Bank Building

After the Nacogdoches Cigar Company had been established for a time, one of its original shareholders, Harry F. Wilson founded his own company, about a block away from the original Nacogdoches Cigar Company location, and began producing Bonita cigars.

Wilson used the second floor of the Wettermark Bank Building (built in 1896), at the corner of Main and South Pecan (124 E.Main St). This building also can still be seen in Downtown Nacogdoches, although it is in quite a dilapidated condition.

Here is a photo from the year 1900 of the Wettermark building. Back then, it was the Chronicle Building. 

A few different ads for Bonita cigars are below pulled from various newspapers of that time period.

More pictures of the Wettermark building from recent decades are below.

The Taussig Legacy - A Journey from Bohemia to Nacogdoches

William Taussig was born in March 1847, in Bohemia, to his parents, Lazarus and Henrietta Taussig. The picture below is an image of Taussig's birth home in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.

He married Julia Stein in 1876 in Chicago, Illinois. Julia owned the Chicago Beach Hotel. He and Julia had 5 children. His son, Henry G. Taussig, was born in 1881. Then he had three daughters born in succession: Hattie Haber in 1883, Bertha Taussig in 1885, and Lillian E. Eisenstaedt in 1886. His last child, a son, Leo L. Taussig, was born in 1889.

Taussig first became interested in Florida tobacco about 1896. William Taussig was an enthusiastic supporter of the Florida product and purchased a large acreage upon which buildings and shade were erected.

He was well known in the tobacco industry in Chicago and across the country before he ever came to Nacogdoches.

William Taussig is again in Chicago, having recently returned from an extensive trip to Florida. Mr. Taussig brought back with him an abundance of optimism, and a confidence in the near future which the local trade and his friends along "Tobacco Row" were glad to see.

The Tobacco Boom of 1903 - William Taussig’s Vision for Nacogdoches

You may remember the name William Taussig mentioned earlier in connection with the Florida, Havana and Sumatra Company, and you'd be correct. He was the President of the Florida, Havana and Sumatra Company, as well as Taussig & Co., when he first became involved in Nacogdoches and East Texas tobacco back in 1903. In 1903, "only 15,000 pounds of tobacco was raised, nearly all of which was bought by the Florida, Havana and Sumatra Company" of which Tausig was President.

This tobacco was raised under government supervision and then cured by Tausig's company. (I also mentioned him in association with The Nacogdoches Tobacco Growers' Company and the Texas Tobacco Growing Co..)

After this, newspaper articles track his growing interest in the tobacco from our area.

“Mr. William Tausig, of the firm Tausig & Co. leaf tobacco buyers at Chicago and president of the Florida, Havana, and Sumatra company, and Mr. J. L. McFarland, vice president of the latter company have just completed an investigation of the tobacco lands in East Texas under the tutorship of Mr. Shelfer. The impressions gained in that inspection have influenced the members of the largest tobacco firm in the Southeast to turn their attention to Texas."

The Tobacco Boom Begins - Nacogdoches Farmers Embrace a Lucrative New Crop

Florida Company May Put in Farm Near Nacogdoches. (Houston Post Special.) Nacogdoches, Texas, January 15.- William Taussig, president, and John L. Mc Farlin, vice president and general manager, of the Florida, Havana and Sumatra Tobacco company, with headquarters at Chicago and operating at Quincy, Fla., are in town today prospecting for a tobacco farm.

The company these gentlemen represent is both tobacco manufacturer and producer. The company has a farm of 500 acres near Quincy, Fla.. which is all shaded, raising principally the Sumatra wrappers. Mr. McFartin is an expert tobacconist and is fully posted as to the kind of soil that will grow it, the cultivation, the curing and the manufacturing. They are well pleased with the surroundings and will raise a crop of tobacco in this vicinity this year.

The Florida, Havana and Sumatra company, John L. McFarlin, Vice President and general manager, of Quincy, Fla., will plant ten acres of tobacco north of town, on Colonel S. F. B. Morse’s plantation, commonly known as Red Field. L.H. Shelfer has moved his family out on the farm and will have charge of the crop. The tobacco grown on this farm will be grown under shade and will be used primarily for wrappers.

The company will furnish plants to as many farmers as want to engage in tobacco growing, and will contract with all of the tobacco farmers in the county who grow tobacco to take their crops at 15 cents per pound as soon as it is thoroughly dry. The company further agrees to instruct the farmers in the cultivation, cutting and drying process free of charge.

It is not known exactly the number of acres that will be cultivated in tobacco, but enough have signified there willingness to engage in the enterprise to plant 300 acres. From 600 to 1200 pounds per acre is the estimate after the crop is dry, and it is readily seen that the tobacco industry is one of the best paying crops that can be raised.

Increase Tobacco Acreage. Nacogdoches: The Florida, Havana and Sumatra Company of Quincy, Fla., has leased the Redfield tobacco farm, north of town, and will grow twenty-three acres in wrapper tobacco under the shade this year. Sol Friedman, the local manager of the company, closed the contract for the land for this year's crop. This same company raised an experimental crop here last year on a small scale. The crop was considered a success.

The Florida, Havana and Sumatra Company has bought land at Nacogdoches and begun the planting of a tobacco crop.

"We all know what the land will do and the farmers are just falling over each other to get in line. The boll weevil discouraged them a good deal and this tobacco raising comes in as a diversification that will pay them better than cotton. The only enemy to tobacco ls a big green worm, so slow and clumsy that It doesn't need any government expert to classify him or hunt up a parasite to kill him.

Any boy with a club can attend to a tobacco worm, and as they are not very numerous, they are easily put out of business. You can tell your friends that tobacco raising is in on a commercial basis in Texas, wherever there is the right kind of soil, and in a very few years it will rank among our biggest paying crops."

After the Taylor-Webb scandal, he leased Redfields, the now infamous farm.

Florida Havana Tobacco Company Secures Control of Historic Redfield Plantation

Florida Company Obtains Control of Famous Farm. (Houston Post Special.) Nacogdoches, Texas, March 17. - The Florida Havana and Sumatra Tobacco company of Quincy, Fla., which is the same as Tausig & Co. of Chicago, leaf tobacco dealers, have just closed a lease and come into control of the entire Redfield tobacco plantation, so famous in the Taylor-Webb and Morse controversies. Twenty-five acres that will be grown under shade this year for fine wrappers.

Seeds of Change - The Sale That Paved the Way for the Taussig Tobacco Company

Sold Under Order of Court to Satisfy a Labor Claim. Nacogdoches, Tex., Aug. 5.- The entire tobacco crop of the Taylor-Webb company, consisting of 750 pounds of tobacco in barn and five acres growing in the field, was sold today as perishable property by order of a justice's court. The order of sale was sued out by Henry Millard to satisfy a debt Millard held against the company for labor and teams furnished in cultivating the crop and making improvements on the farm. The tobacco brought $350 under the hammer and was knocked down to the Florida Havana Sumatra company.

He stayed in our area for many years it appears. And in 1909, he established the Tausig Tobacco Company in Nacogdoches.

Experience the Rich History with the Perfect Smoke at La Havana Lounge

As we reflect on the rich history of cigar production in Nacogdoches, it's clear that this tradition is more than just a pastime—it's a piece of local heritage. The artistry of hand-rolled cigars, the passion behind every puff, and the dedication to craft are alive and well in our community.

Now, it’s your turn to experience this legacy firsthand. Join us at La Havana Lounge, where we celebrate the timeless art of cigar smoking. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or a curious newcomer, we offer the perfect environment to savor the finest cigars and enjoy a moment of relaxation. Come in today for the perfect smoke!