Archibald McKenna, who was an expert tobacco maker, came from Ireland to work for the Primrose Brothers. I have not been able to find out if they had a business in Pictou or what their business was. A Mr. Lafferty was the first person to manufacture chewing tobacco in Pictou and eventually sold out his business to Archibald who established the McKenna Tobacco Company. Archibald's four sons, Archie, Lewis, Hugh and John came from Ireland and at one time or another were also involved in the manufacture of Pictou Twist.  The family had two factories where the famous chewing tobacco was manufactured, both were located on west Water Street near the site of now demolished Modern Motors.

The leaf tabacco for making the chew was imported from Kentucky and Virginia.  It was packed and shipped in hogsheads to Pictou where they were retained by Inland Revenue until the customs duties were paid.  The Company thrived and at peak production the factories were operating twenty-four hours a day with two twelve-hour shifts. Production reached a level whereby the Company became the largest exporter of tobacco in Canada.

Chewing tobacco was widely used by underground miners, loggers and mill workers.  In the coal mines no smoking was allowed due to the presence of explosive gases so chewing was a substitute for cigarettes and pipes.  In the wide outdoors and underground there was no problem in spitting the tobacco juice but while indoors the chewer had a problem in juice disposal.  The solution was to have brass spitoons located in strategic areas in homes, banks, barber shops, etc.  When chewing became a thing of the past the polished brass spitoons ended up as planters.

Chewing tobacco was and still is sold in the form of a rectangular plug about four inches long, two inches wide and half an inch thick.  Along with the flavour and shape, Pictou Twist was an unique product.  To keep the chew moist and impart special flavour the tobacco leaves were mixed with molasses, licorice and other ingredients that were kept as a family secret.  The leaves were rolled and twisted in the form of a rope about five inches long, therefore the name "Twist."  The chewing tobacco was packed in cans that were about the size of the present day cans of fine-cut tobacco used for hand-rolled cigarettes.  The chewing tobacco had a wide distribution and one of the Pictou Twist cans may be seen on display at the restored Hudson Bay Fort in Edmonton, Alberta.  Chewing tobacco is almost a thing of the past, at one time Canadians chewed 2.8 million pounds of it in one year.

In 1850 the business was sold to two Pictou businessmen, Alfred Barry and John Priest.  The business was not a success as they were not familiar with the tobacco trade so they sold out to a W.G. Tait who moved it to Truro in 1920.  It operated under the name of the Anglo-Virginia Tobacco Company.

In 1923 the business returned to Pictou when it was purchased by Jack McKenna, his father Lewis, and Welsford MacDonald.  Jack McKenna tried to register the name "Pictou Twist" but the authorities would only consider the name, "McKenna's Pictou Twist."  Registration cost ten dollars.  Jack did not bother to pay the fee.  It was difficult to obtain the service of an expert chewing tobacco maker and on the death of Lewis McKenna the business was sold to Hickey and Nelson of Charlottetown.  They produced a product known as "Island Twist," however the business was not a success.  At a later date, Jack's nephew, Archie McKenna, sold the rights to the name "Pictou Twist" to a Quebec firm associated with the Imperial Tobacco Compay of Montreal.

*Information collected from articles in the Pictou Advocate written by Roland H. Sherwood and from the late Alice Newman of Pictou, Nova Scotia.