This issue examines the evolution of agriculture and cash-crop production in Berrien County from the 1800s through the late 20th century. It begins with early subsistence farms carved from the former Indian Territory, where families grew only what they needed and bartered small surpluses. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become the dominant cash crop, with both white and Black families contributing to its cultivation.

After the Civil War, cotton production expanded rapidly but faced falling prices, soil depletion, and debt pressures. In the 1890s, Berrien County entered the naval stores era, as turpentine and rosin from longleaf pine became major regional industries. The arrival of railroads and improved methods of gum collection brought economic growth and spurred the development of Nashville and surrounding communities.

The boll weevil’s arrival in 1915 devastated cotton and forced farmers to seek alternatives. Flue-cured tobacco emerged as the new major cash crop, requiring extensive manual labor and supporting warehouses, buyers, and seasonal employment during the Great Depression.

By the mid-20th century, mechanization—especially the widespread adoption of tractors—transformed farm labor and consolidated agricultural operations. Government programs, subsidies, and later industry declines (such as the end of Georgia’s gum production and the tobacco buyout) reshaped the agricultural landscape. Today, cotton, peanuts, pecans, and limited tobacco remai

Subjects(Names): Allen, Fred T.; Creech, W. M.; Herty, Charles; McCorvey, J. D.; Miller, K. M.; Shaw, Bryan