COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus native and journalist Haisten Willis will discuss his book about Tom's Foods at the Columbus Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, titled "A Legacy in Peanuts," will take place in the library auditorium at 3000 Macon Road, according to the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries event listing. Willis will give a presentation about the Columbus snack food company, followed by a book signing, with copies available for purchase at the event.

The book, "A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom's Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South," examines the company's history, its role in the peanut industry and its connection to the industrial development of the South. According to the library, the account follows founder Tom Huston, the involvement of agricultural scientist George Washington Carver and the company's later changes in leadership and ownership. The author biography in the listing notes that Willis has relatives who worked for Tom's Foods and summers he spent riding in one of the company's delivery trucks.

When and Where the Nov. 19 Author Event Will Take Place

The Columbus Public Library has scheduled the presentation for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. Eastern time. The program will be held in the auditorium at 3000 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31906, according to the library's official event calendar. The listing identifies the program as an author event and includes it in the library's special events and genealogy categories.

The event is listed for all ages, according to the library. Books will be sold during the program, and Willis will sign copies following his presentation. The listing does not specify an admission price or whether advance registration is required.

The library can be reached at 706-243-2669 for information about the program. Its official event listing provides the scheduled date, hours, location and event description. The announcement identifies the presentation and signing as separate parts of the evening's activities.

What Haisten Willis' Book Covers

Willis' book examines how Tom Huston developed a business built around peanuts and how that business became connected to broader changes in the South's economy. According to the Columbus Public Library's description, George Washington Carver helped Huston develop the enterprise. The book also addresses how the business contributed to making peanuts a cash crop and supported industrialization in the region.

The historical account extends beyond the company's early development. The library says Willis examines innovations at Tom's Foods, changes in leadership during the middle of the twentieth century and the company's decline over its final three decades. The narrative also follows the selling and reselling of company assets during that period.

The book was published by the University of Georgia Press, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The newspaper reported a price of $29.95 for the publication in its October 2026 coverage. The library separately confirms that books will be sold at the November event, although its listing does not specify the event's selling price.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Willis first wrote about Tom's Foods for the newspaper in 2021. His book expands the subject into a history of the business, its people and the economic changes surrounding it, according to the library's description. The November presentation will bring that subject to a Columbus audience at the public library.

A Columbus Native With Family Connections to Tom's Foods

Willis was born in Columbus and grew up hearing stories about Tom's Foods, according to his biography in the library's event announcement. At least eleven of his relatives worked for the company. His connection also included spending summers during his teenage years riding in a Tom's delivery truck.

Those experiences are part of the background described in the library's announcement of his book. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reported that eleven members of Willis' family worked for Tom's Foods. His family history provides a connection between the author and the company whose development he examines.

Willis works as a journalist in Washington, D.C., according to the library. His writing has appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post and The Washington Examiner. He is also the editor of Commonplace magazine.

His professional experience and Columbus background are both included in the library's author biography. The November program will focus on the book and the history of Tom's Foods, according to the event description. The scheduled signing will follow the presentation rather than precede it.

How Tom's Foods Began in Columbus

Historic Columbus traces the early operation of the Tom Huston Peanut Company to a small building on 32nd Street in Columbus. The company's initial product was a toasted, salted peanut packaged in a patented glassine bag. The organization describes that product as the beginning of a business that later operated from larger facilities in Columbus.

According to Historic Columbus, the company moved from its original building to a location on 13th Street. It eventually established a permanent plant at 10th Avenue and 8th Street. These locations form part of the company's history within Columbus as documented by the local preservation organization.

George Washington Carver also played a role in the company's early operations, according to Historic Columbus. He served as a consultant for approximately ten years and declined a full-time position with the business. Historic Columbus reports that Carver chose to remain at Tuskegee instead.

The library's description of Willis' book places the relationship between Huston and Carver within the larger story of agricultural development and industrialization. It identifies the peanut's emergence as a cash crop as one of the subjects examined in the publication. The historical locations and Carver's consulting work provide additional details documented by Historic Columbus.

Distribution Network Grew Across the Decades

Tom's Foods built a large network of distributors and routes. According to Historic Columbus, the company had 347 distributors operating 1,094 routes in 1949. Those figures show the distribution structure documented during the company's mid-century operations.

The network expanded further in the following decades, according to Historic Columbus. By 1975, the company had more than 500 distributors operating 2,500 routes. The figures reflect increases in both the number of distributors and the number of routes compared with 1949.

The company's distribution operations were also part of Willis' personal experience, according to the Columbus Public Library. His author biography describes the summers he spent riding in a delivery truck as a teenager. That background connects his family history with one of the business activities documented by Historic Columbus.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia reported that, as of 2006, the company had more than 1,300 employees across four states. It sold 20 snack products in 43 states at that time. These figures document the company's operating reach during a later period of its history.

Changes in Ownership and Company Leadership

Tom's Foods experienced several major leadership and ownership changes over its history. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tom Huston was removed from leadership in 1932. The New Georgia Encyclopedia attributes his loss of the company during the early 1930s to the Depression and financial losses associated with his frozen peach business.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia reports that the bank controlling the business hired Walter Richards as president in 1932. General Mills subsequently purchased the company in 1966. The company adopted the name Tom's Foods in 1970, according to the encyclopedia.

The later financial history included falling revenue and operating losses. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the company reported $195.7 million in revenue for the fiscal year preceding 2004. In fiscal 2004, revenue was $181.4 million and the company recorded a loss of $6.8 million.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia reports that Lance purchased Tom's Foods in October 2005 for $37.9 million. The acquisition followed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing approximately six months earlier, after the company defaulted on more than $60 million in debt. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also identifies 2005 as the year of the bankruptcy and reports that annual revenue had reached nearly $200 million at the company's peak.

These ownership changes are among the broader subjects identified in the library's description of Willis' book. The publication follows leadership transitions and the sale and resale of assets during the company's later decades. The November presentation is centered on that documented corporate history and its connections to Columbus.

The Company's Later Years and Columbus History

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Campbell Soup Company, which owned Tom's Foods, closed the company's Columbus plant. The newspaper's October 2026 coverage also described the company's earlier financial peak and its 2005 bankruptcy. Those developments provide part of the historical period addressed in Willis' book.

The library describes the book as examining the company's decline over its final three decades. Its summary specifically identifies changes in ownership and asset sales as subjects in that account. The description presents those events alongside the company's earlier innovations and leadership history.

Historic Columbus' account documents the physical development of the business, from its early building on 32nd Street to its later manufacturing location. The New Georgia Encyclopedia provides details about ownership, financial performance, products and distribution. Willis' book brings those subjects into a single historical account, as described in the library's announcement.

Book Sales, Signing and Library Contact Information

The November program includes a presentation by Willis and an opportunity to have books signed afterward. According to the Columbus Public Library, copies of "A Legacy in Peanuts: Tom's Foods and the Transformation of the Twentieth-Century South" will be available for sale. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists the University of Georgia Press book at $29.95.

The library has published the event's time, address and audience information but has not specified a registration requirement or admission charge in the listing. Its calendar identifies the auditorium as the location and lists the program for all ages. The library's telephone number for event inquiries is 706-243-2669.

The official library calendar remains the source for the event's announced schedule and location. The program is listed under Special Events, Genealogy and Author Events,. Additional information is available through the Columbus Public Library event page.