CHESTERFIELD CIGARETTES
1873---2004
The Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company is best known for Chesterfield, a cigarette brand that they made from 1911 until 1998. The Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, Missouri began making Chesterfield cigarettes in 1873. James T. Drummond (1834-1897) was a successful plug tobacco manufacturer who had introduced Chesterfield, Cannon, Toddy and Drum cigarettes as a sideline. A 'plug tobacco war' was fought during 1897 and 1898 with Drummond and Liggett & Myers on one side, battling James Duke and his American Tobacco Company monopoly. The two St. Louis manufacturers lost, and Duke bought Drummond's company in October, 1898. Liggett & Myers became part of Duke's trust the following year. ATCo continued to manufacturer Chesterfield until the 1911 trust dissolution. Chesterfield was one of the cigarette brands awarded to the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, and ironically, W. Duke Sons & Company became a subsidiary. L&M reblended and repackaged Chesterfield to compete with the successful 1913 introduction of Camel Cigarettes. Nowadays, Chesterfield is manufactured by Philip Morris.
In 1939, the late great actor and comic W. C. Fields lost a lot of money because of his penchant for puns. Fields' radio show was sponsored by Lucky Strike Cigarettes. The CBS program and his $7,500 a week salary were cancelled when, on the air, he continued to refer to his son Chester.
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