BrandChesterfield-Original Character
Brand Chesterfield-Original Character
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, 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.
