Seated left to right above are Miss Susan "Susie" White of Lake City, Miss Lake City of 1956; Miss Marian McKnight of Manning, Miss South Carolina of 1956, later Miss America of 1957; and Miss Dorothy ‘Dot’ McCutcheon of Indiantown, Bright Leaf Festival Queen of 1955.

Famed Lake City photographer Abe Thomy took this photo.

They are sitting on what is known as a “hogshead,” a large wooden barrel tightly packed with tobacco. This practice dates to the 1700s and was used to help preserve and protect tobacco when shipping. One hogshead could weigh up to 1,000 pounds. By the time this picture was taken in 1956, loose-leaf tobacco auctions like the many hosted in Lake City were the primary way to buy tobacco.

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