For seventy-five years tobacco farmers and processors in a small district along the Florida Georgia boundary produced shade tobacco, a speciality leaf used in the production of fine premium cigars. Shade tobacco was the highest quality tobacco leaf, used as the outer wrapping for cigars.  The tobacco cultivated using this very specialized process became so valuable and profitable that it was often referred to as “BROWN GOLD”

In 2019, the Havana History and Heritage Society received a modest grant from The Florida Humanities Council to capture, preserve, and tell the story of the impact of the shade tobacco industry on the Town of Havana and surrounding area.  Historical archives and photographs were combined with digital interviews with Havana and Gadsden County residents to create a 47 minute video titled Voices of Havana.  You can view the Voices of Havana video broken down into 2 to 5 minute topical segments below.  We hope you enjoy.​




​Chapter 1 - Growers and Cultivation



​Chapter 2 - Sowing the Seeds



​Chapter 3 - Disease and Pesticides 



​Chapter 4 - Priming Tobacco


Chapter 5 - Moving Tobacco from Farm to the Barn



​Chapter 6 - Curing & Processing Tobacco



​Chapter 7 - Curing Tobacco



​Chapter 8 - Sorting and Packing



​Chapter 9 - Cigar Making
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​Chapter 10 - The Workers
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​Chapter 11 - Migrant Workers
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​Chapter 12 - The End of Tobacco
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​Chapter 13 - Life in Havana
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​Chapter 14 - Growing Up in Havana
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​Chapter 15 - Churches
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​Chapter 16 - Schools
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​Chapter 17 - Downtown Havana
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​Chapter 18 - The Havana Wrappers



​Chapter 19 - Sports



​Chapter 20 - One Last Word