EPISODE · Jun 11, 2013 · 13 MIN
The Big Tomato
The rich earth of the Mississippi River bottom just east of St. Louis has long been a place to grow some of the best produce in the country. In particular, it was something of the tomato capital of the Midwest for many decades. What better monument to that juicy history than a massive catsup bottle, masquerading as the city water tower for Collinsville, Ilinois? In this podcast you’ll meet the Big Tomato himself, Mike Gassman, who along with his wife and many other volunteers have successfully fought to preserve their unique roadside attraction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What this episode covers
The rich earth of the Mississippi River bottom just east of St. Louis has long been a place to grow some of the best produce in the country. In particular, it was something of the tomato capital of the Midwest for many decades. What better monument to that juicy history than a massive catsup bottle, masquerading as the city water tower for Collinsville, Ilinois? In this podcast you’ll meet the Big Tomato himself, Mike Gassman, who along with his wife and many other volunteers have successfully fought to preserve their unique roadside attraction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
NOW PLAYING
The Big Tomato
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Feb 8, 2026 ·4m
Jan 30, 2026 ·6m
Dec 15, 2025 ·2m
Nov 30, 2025 ·5m
Oct 26, 2025 ·14m
Oct 26, 2025 ·61m