George Purdie, a County Justice and Postmaster of Smithfield during his lifetime, in 1763 purchased Lots 4 and 5 of the original plat of the Town of Smithfield. Purdie's neighbor, Captain Mallory Todd, developed the business of curing and shipping the hams that has made Smithfield world-famous. The peanut industry continued until the fire of 1921, which destroyed the peanut warehouses. The peanut trade moved to the nearby railroad hub of Suffolk, Virginia.
George Purdie a County Justice and Postmaster of Smithfield during his lifetime, in 1763 purchased Lots 4 and 5 of the original plat of the Town of Smithfield. Purdie's neighbor, Captain Mallory Todd, developed the business of curing and shipping the hams that has made Smithfield world-famous. The peanut industry continued until the fire of 1921, which destroyed the peanut warehouses. The peanut trade moved to the nearby railroad hub of Suffolk, Virginia