Roby Cigar Museum

Roby Cigar Museum. . This small, backyard cigar company operated from 1900 to 1943. Mr. Roby's hand-made stogies or cigars were made here in this building by family members, with the help of 2 or 3 employees daily. It was located in Belmont, Ohio. , , This shop has about 90% of its original equipment. When it started up there was no electricity in Belmont. Electricity came to Belmont about 1918-20; before that most all shops relied on natural light through glass windows. This shop got electric power by 1925. , , The stripping machine had an electric motor added to run it. Before then it was run by foot power through 2 pedals which were pumped like an organ. All the work benches that the ladies worked at were made from shipping crates that tobacco dust came in. A large portion of the tobacco for the area was grown in and around Woodsfield and Monroe county. , , The original site of this building was on the Roby property on Railroad Street, behind the family home. Belmont had at least 15 cigar making companies within it's corporation limits in the early 1900's. Today there are none. , , In 1987 the building was purchased by Richard Thompson. What you see here is about half of that original building. In 1994 it was donated to Barnesville by Richard and Connie Thompson in memory of Harry and Marjorie Thompson of Belmont, Ohio.