Corn Cob Pipe Factory Celebrates 150 Years, Offers Free Tours Friday, Saturday

Jan 31, 2024

There aren't many products that are still made by hand in essentially the same way they were made 150 years ago, but corn cob pipes are one example. Indeed, history and tradition are alive and well at the Missouri Meerschaum Company in Washington, where corn cob pipes have been made since 1869.

Pipes, you may say, wrinkling your nose. Even those who are anti-tobacco and anti-smoking can find something to appreciate in the story of Missouri's corn cob pipe industry. You can learn all about it in the small museum that is housed in the retail shop at the factory in Washington, or on one of the free guided tours being offered this weekend.

Far too often, people don't visit the attractions right in their own back yards. How many of you have visited the corn cob pipe factory? I know I hadn't, during the 40-plus years I've lived in the area. I corrected that this spring, and you have a chance to visit and tour this weekend.

A little history

The pipe business was started almost by chance. Henry Tibbe, a Dutch immigrant and woodworker, was asked by a local farmer to turn some corn cobs on his lathe to make pipes. The pipes were a hit, and word spread. According to the company website, Tibbe was soon spending more time making corn cob pipes than on his wood-working business. In 1869, he began full-time production of pipes, under the business name H. Tibbe & Son Company.

Tibbe thought his light, porous corn cob pipes with their cool smoke compared well with Meerschaum pipes, a high-grade pipe from Europe made with a light, porous mineral called sepiolite, or meerschaum. Meerschaum is a German word meaning sea foam. Sepiolite is sometimes found floating on the Black Sea and looks somewhat like sea foam, hence the name.

With the help of Otto Muench, a friend and chemist, Tibbe developed a plaster-based substance that is applied to the outside of the corn cob pipe bowls to fill them in, then the bowl is sanded smooth after it dries. He patented the process in 1878.

Tibbe began calling his pipes Missouri Meerschaums, and the name stuck. In 1907, he changed the company name to Missouri Meerschaum Company. Meanwhile, other companies sprang up, and between 1900 and 1925, Franklin County was home to a dozen corn cob pipe companies, most of them in Washington. Only one remains.

Today, Missouri Meerschaum Company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of corn cob pipes. They make about 35 variations of corn cob pipes, and produce an average of 3,000 pipes a day. They ship to every state and about 70 countries, for a total of about 700,000 pipes shipped a year.

150th anniversary tours

To mark 150 years of history, the company organized two weekend celebrations, one was in April and the second one is this weekend. The highlight of the celebration is the opportunity to take a guided tour of the factory to observe the pipe manufacturing process. This is a rare treat, because normally no tours are offered.

Free factory tours will be given every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12, for guests age 10 and older.

In addition to the tours, activities will include live music, food and drink vendors, and games for children.

During the April celebration, I stood in line for an hour and a half to take the tour, and it was well worth it. In many ways, the factory itself is a living history museum. The workers showed us every step of the process, which involves each pipe being handled an average of 25 times. Many of the machines and techniques are the same as they were 150 years ago.

One thing that has changed is the corn itself. The company grows its own corn on 150 acres north of the Missouri River. This non-GMO white hybrid corn was developed by the University of Missouri and produces big, thick, tough cobs, just right for making pipes.

When you go . . .

The retail shop at Missouri Meerschaum Company is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The shop stocks a variety of pipes, tobacco, pipe accessories, t-shirts, books, photographs and souvenirs. The factory's museum is located within the retail shop; there is no admission fee.

Missouri Meerschaum Company, 21 Cedar Street (corner of Cedar and Front streets), Washington, 63090; 800-888-2109; CornCobPipe.com.

For more information about the area, go to VisitWashMo.com.

A shorter version of this article appeared in the spring issue of Show-Me Missouri Magazine.

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