Industries That Revolutionized the South

This session will trace two industries that have shaped the South’s economy, landscape, and labor practices. Haisten Willis’s A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom’s Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South tells the story of Tom’s Foods, a company based in Columbus, Georgia, that played a major role in establishing the peanut as a cash crop. Jessica I. Elfenbein, coeditor of Wood Basket of the World: Lumbering, Commerce, and Conservation in South Carolina’s Forests, will share how South Carolina became central to the global timber economy. These two books explore the intersection of the industry, people, and culture of the South. This is a must-attend session for anyone interested in business and history!  

Purchase your book from Charis Books & More. When you check-out from that link, please mention that you will need to pick your book up at the event. Books will also be for sale on-site by Charis, and a portion of your purchase will benefit the Decatur Book Festival.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, and seating is first come, first served. Signing information: Signing time: 1:15 PM

Signing location: Marriott Conference Center

About the Authors

Jessica I. Elfenbein is professor of history at the University of South Carolina and an award-winning public historian. She is the principal investigator for the ongoing, multifaceted "Wood Basket of the World" project. She joins us with her book Wood Basket of the World: Lumbering, Commerce, and Conservation in South Carolina's Forests.

Haisten Willis was born in Columbus, Georgia, and grew up hearing a lot about Tom’s Foods—no fewer than nine of his relatives worked there at one time or another. Later, he spent summers riding in a Tom’s delivery truck and learning the business from his dad. Willis is a journalist who has written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, and the Washington Examiner. He is the editor of Commonplace magazine and works in Washington, DC. He joins us with his book A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom's Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South.

Moderator

Jim Auchmutey is a veteran journalist who worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 30 years. He is the author of several books, including Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America and The Class of '65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness, both which were named books all Georgians should read by the Georgia Center for the Book.