Tobacco Documents Online

FOR: TIiE TOBACCO INSTI'NTE, INC. FOR RELEASE' IN,AM' S OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1960 DEVELOPMENT OF ILLINOIS'TOBACCO INDUSTRY TOLD IN TOBACCO INSTIZ[JTE PUBLICATION Washington -- The valuable share tobacco has had in the economic `development of Illinois is described in a.new booklet published today by The Tobacco Institute, Inc. Over 79,000 retail outlets in the state last year sold tobacco !goods with an esti,mated wholesale value of $247 million. Over 26 billion cigarettes were bought by Illinois consumers. The state tax on these purchases for fiscal 1959 came to $39,122,000. This excise was first osed in 1941. By June 30, 1959, its total yield to the state treasury was close to $?+46 million. I Tobacco began to be grown by white settlers in Illinois from the time of its colonization by the French in the early 1700's. Before 1850~ production had reached a point where Illinois tobacco was being shipped to other parts of the United States and, a little later, to European markets. The indw,stry declined as aA agriculture, however, while tobacco manufacturing developed. Illinois became a major producer`of tobacco goods by 1880. As recently as the 1920's its industrial coffiaunity included over durable goods, and aluminum foil, paper, labels, and'packaging materials to name but a few. •From the early days of the 18th century to the present the record of tobacco in the Prairie State is an interesting one. The major parts 1,000 manufacturers of tobacco products. Today, it has numerous plants that supply the tobacco industry witr such equipment as agricultural machinery, precision instruments, ventilating systems and various other of that history has been told in popular style in Illinois & Tobacco, a booklet available from The Tobacco Institute, Inc., Washington, D.C. ..~;. >. ;. C