Battle Ax Plug Tobacco Ghost Sign – Steubenville, Ohio

Steubenville, Ohio, a city on the Ohio River and birthplace of Rat Pack legend Dean Martin, is known as the City of Murals. There are over 25 of them scattered about town. But what isn’t commonly highlighted when talking about wall art there is this fantastic Battle Ax Plug tobacco ghost sign.

Battle Ax Plug – A Real Big Piece for 10 Cents

Apparently this sign was exposed in late 2013 following the demolition of the adjoining building, according to this article from the Herald-Star.

“I had never heard of that tobacco so I did an Internet search and found the same signs painted on the side of bills elsewhere in the country. It was called Battle Ax and its logo was a battle ax with the words ‘A great piece piece to chew for 10 cents.’ It is a piece of local advertising exposed to the public again. And it is kind of neat to see after all these years,” said Vukelic.

Herald-Star: Demolition Uncovers Battle Ax Tobacco Ad

---

Battle Ax Plug tobacco is a ghost sign brand that I have no real exposure to. Given the age of its popularity, that isn’t much of a surprise. Much of the paper or newspaper advertising I’ve found online is from the late 19th century. My only other experience seeing one of their advertisements was a smaller, much more faded sign in Pomeroy, Ohio in 2017.

It’s hard to find a comprehensive history of the brand online, though there are some nice advertising pieces from the late 1800’s available:

There is something so spectacular about the turn of phrase “a peculiar excellence.” From here on out when someone asks me about myself, I’ll be responding that I have a peculiar excellence that can only be understood and appreciated by giving me a try. I’ll keep you posted on the results.