TOBACCO CAVE (1949? or 1950?)
TOBACCO CAVE: History and Uses
Origins of the Tobacco Cave
The Tobacco Cave rock shelter derives its name from the structure that was erected beneath the cliffs and used to dry harvested tobacco. This innovative solution was created by the Finley family, who owned the farm during the late 1940s or early 1950s. During this period, tobacco stood as the primary cash crop cultivated by nearly every farm family throughout Kentucky.
Tobacco Cultivation Process
Raising tobacco required an immense amount of labor. Farmers began by growing tobacco plants from seeds in beds. Once mature enough, these plants were pulled by hand and then transplanted into the fields. The transplantation process was usually performed manually, although some early mechanical methods were occasionally employed.
Throughout the growing season, the tobacco crop demanded constant attention. Farmers and their helpers diligently weeded, removed undesirable leaves (a process known as succoring), eliminated worms, and topped the plants. All these tasks were performed manually. When it came time to harvest, the farmers would cut the stalks and “spike” five or six plant stalks onto stakes—called “tobacco sticks”—that measured three to four feet in length. These stakes were driven into the fields in preparation for harvest. Once gathered, the spiked stalks and sticks were hung on poles in a barn or similar structure to dry, a process that extended into the fall or early winter.
The final steps of tobacco production involved stripping, grading, and bundling the dried tobacco leaves to prepare them for market. This process was typically a family affair, with women, children, and even neighbors lending a hand. Every phase of tobacco cultivation—from planting and harvesting to drying and stripping—required significant labor.
Abandoning the Experiment
According to local accounts, the Finley family tried using the cliff-side structure for drying tobacco only a few years before constructing a stand-alone barn closer to their fields. Probably several factors contributed to their decision to abandon the rock shelter: transporting the crop from the fields to the shelter was difficult, the location did not provide sufficient humidity to make the leaves pliable during stripping (a condition referred to by old timers as “coming in order”), and eventually, the family had the financial means to build a barn.
Preservation and Recent Events
The original wooden “tier poles” remained exactly as the family had left them since the early 1950s. However, shortly before the Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation and Recreation Area opened to the public in June 2020, vandals damaged the structure by tearing down the wooden poles in the rear, likely in an attempt to climb them. Warning signs have since been posted to alert visitors of the potential danger posed by climbing on the remaining structure.
12/3/2025 SLC
Structure before damage.
Structure Today.
