City of Suffolk

Suffolk, Virginia

Suffolk was originally inhabited by Native Americans known as the Nansemonds who lived along the river later known by the same name. Suffolk was first explored by the English settlers based at Jamestown as they sought means to survive. The English settlers soon recognized the commerce via the river and formally created the Town of Suffolk in 1742. Surviving several fires and being burned by the British in the Revolutionary War, Suffolk became a city in 1910. In 1912, Amedeo Obici, an Italian immigrant, came from Pennsylvania and opened the Planter Nut and Chocolate Company. He built on the widespread cultivation of peanuts and by 1941, Suffolk was declared the Peanut Capital of the World. The city also became home to Planters' Mr. Peanut, a world-famous advertising icon. In downtown Suffolk, a statue of Mr. Peanut is prominently displayed. Today, Suffolk remains a major peanut processing center.