This barn’s Mail Pouch paint job is fading fast.
A Mail Pouch Barn is a barn with one or more sides painted with the slogan:
CHEW
MAIL POUCH
TOBACCO
TREAT YOURSELF TO THE BEST
Starting in 1890 the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company of Wheeling West Virginia began offering farmers a bit of cash and a years supply of their Mail Pouch chewing tobacco in exchange for painting at least one side of their barn with their slogan. Even without the cash or product, a free coat of paint helps keep your barn siding protected, and this deal would look inviting.
The advertising campaign continued until the mid 1990’s. Over 20,000 barns in 22 Midwest and Southeastern states were painted during that 100+ year run. If you have any of these in your area or when you spot one while traveling, take a look. They won’t be around forever, and are an interesting slice of American rural history.
Roadtirement 
In our neck of the woods, barns were painted with “SEE ROCK CITY.”
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We’ve seen them, too. Also “Merrimac Caverns”. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m so old that this post brought back the old, old joke from childhood. First, we’d call a store. Then, it went like this: “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?” If the answer was “yes,” we’d say, “Well, you’d better let him go!”
If we got bored with that, we could call anyone and ask if their refrigerator was running. If it was, of course we suggested that they go catch it.
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We were brats back then, weren’t we? ššš
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I used to see them all the time – they are far and few between now.
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There are not many left. It is a shame. Thanks for sharing.
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super post
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Thank you!
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Now that was a deal! My friends and I tried Red Man chewing tobacco when we were around 12 years old. We all got sick and had an unforgettable puke fest. Just the smell of that stuff makes me want to heave.
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Ah yes, that first chew was something spectacular. Mine was age 11 from a dried out pouch of Beech-Nut that a friend had hooked from his dad’s workshop. Four of us finished off what was left. Dad asked me what brand I chewed when I didn’t “feel like eating” that night at the supper table. I didn’t know I had a tell tale stain on the corner of my mouth.
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The times kids could be kids.
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I have seen these paintings in many places, I hope someone will step up and save a handful of them. Be proud of our American heritage!
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The company is no longer doing the ads on barns, they quit in either 1992 or 1996 depending on what source you consult. I have seen reports that some barn owners have restored the signage on their own.
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I’m sure that there are qualified artists than can accuratly reproduce the paint.
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Usually the old original lead based paint is easy to make out on the barn siding, making repainting somewhat easy, according to sources I’ve read.
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Man, we don’t want lead-based paints!
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That’s all they had back then. I’m sure those repainting their barns are not using lead based now. The point is that the old paint showed through the later paint jobs, letting the re-lettering be rather easy.
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cool….I never tried chewing tobacco, just smoking and n.gum…I quit all that a while ago..
thanks
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Glad you quit that junk! I did too.
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yeah, everyone quits if they’re smart šš
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A brilliant idea
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If you lived in the eastern third to half of the USA you would have seen them.
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They were all over NY & PA too.
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I found reference to 22 different states that had them. I still like seeing the few remaining ones.
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This is what we used to call “Americana.” A small slice of history that shows some character. Nice memory.
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There are a few left. Thanks for sharing JC.
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I always enjoy seeing these old barns with the advertising on them.
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i love this!
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