With the spreading service of railroads, several small stockyards were created in and around the city of chicago. Field and leiter open a store later marshall fields at state street and washington avenue. Beyond fort worth, hed be crossing the red river into indian territory. Jun 01, 2018 the shrinking union stockyards closed for good in 1971. Here are a few that are know the best from yesteryear to present. See below for links for more excellent introductory sources to the history of the union stockyards, and scroll down to see the two signs i find at the site which also provide a brief history.
The stockyards have become an integral part of the popular culture of chicagos history. From the minute it openedon christmas day in 1865it was chicagos mustsee tourist attraction, drawing more than half a million visitors each year. History of the yards, 18651953 from lithuania to the chicago stockyardsan autobiography 1904 emergency services unit histories early twentiethcentury u. As a drover headed cattle up the chisholm trail to the railheads, he had one last stop for rest and supplies. Please complete the handout according to the stop that you are at on the weebly. History thats still in the making stockyards district. He first published the novel in serial form in 1905 in the newspaper, and it was published as a book by doubleday in 1906. It was acquired by the city when the stockyards officially closed in 1971, after which all of the meat packing industry buildings were razed. Dillingham becomes president of the stockyards 1974 the city of kansas city and the american royal build kemper arena on the former stockyards land. Tracy baim is the executive editor and publisher of the windy city times and the author of many books on lgbt chicago. Jul 16, 2014 w hatever thomas wolfe once wrote, you can go home again, even if its only in your head. A novel the crown family saga book 1 by john jakes 4.
To the east, the bridgeport neighborhood narrowly escaped destruction when the flames leaped across halsted. Cattle are first led into a narrow alley and stunned by a blow on the head, in a packing plant in austin, minnesota, 1941. A chicago historian tackles 5 questions about the city. This, his first novel, brilliantly depicts chicagos 19thcentury emergence as the american fount of mammon, a bustling metropolis of industrial enterprise and greed. Union stockyard gate chicago 2020 all you need to know. See more ideas about chicago, chicago photos and my kind of town. This paper represents a modest step in developing an historical understanding of the. Families, visiting dignitaries, even school groups all made trips to the south side to tour the union stock yard. Upton sinclair christened it the jungle, while new yorkers, naturally, pronounced it the second city.
The shrinking union stockyards closed for good in 1971. Sheep run, chicago stockyards sheep run, chicago stock yards a large flock of sheep being driven over the runs from the cars to the slaughter beds. Its arched limestone gate was declared a public landmark on february 24th, 1972. The stockyards have become an integral part of the popular culture of chicago s history. Livestock markets for the sale and distribution of meat developed as early as the days of colonial america. Stockyards national historic district in fort worth the herd. See more ideas about chicago history, yesteryear, my kind of town. Dominic pacyga traces chicago stockyards history in. In 1904, sinclair had spent seven weeks gathering information while working incognito in the meatpacking plants of the chicago stockyards for the socialist newspaper appeal to reason. Before construction of the various private stockyards, tavern owners provided pastures and care for cattle herds waiting to be sold. Nov 05, 2015 the history of the stockyards is the subject of dominic pacygas slaughterhouse. How chicagos slaughterhouse spectacles paved the way for big. The stockyards, packingtown, and environs in the nineteenth century. How chicagos slaughterhouse spectacles paved the way for.
The union stockyards left an indelible mark on chicago s history, not only defining the city as hogbutcher for the world, but also provided jobs for the many immigrants coming to chicago during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Americas historic stockyards livestock hotels book. Americas historic stockyards book chicago public library. When chicago was hog butcher to the world wttw chicago.
There they got a firsthand look at the citys industrial prowess as they witnessed cattle, hogs, and sheep disassembled with. Chicago stockyards project gutenberg selfpublishing. Chicagos union stock yard and the world it made, chronicles the 150year history of chicagos infamous union stock yardsa history thats as gnarled and complex as one of the citys fivepointed street corners. W hatever thomas wolfe once wrote, you can go home again, even if its only in your head.
For many years the stock attraction of chicago was the stockyards. Utterly disturbing, centuryold photos of meatpacking. Clearing received its name from a proposed railwayswitching yard. Sep 22, 2016 stockyards are becoming few and far between. We have an amazing lineup of storytellers ready to share the stories of badass women of chicago history you ought to know. The fort worth stockyardswhere the old west comes alive.
Dominic pacyga shares history of chicagos stockyards in. Some of chicagos greatest fortunes were made there, and some of the most bitter labor fights contested. For the facilities in south omaha, see union stockyards omaha. Important part of chicago history i remember driving past the old chicago stock yards when they were thriving in the 1950s, when my uncle was a foreman in swifts meatpacking plant, when thousands of people worked there, when you could smell that awful smell all over chicago s south side. Their vacated firehouses were staffed with units sent from blue island, chicago heights, oak lawn, harvey, and other suburbs. The stockyards that had prompted carl sandburg to dub chicago the hog butcher for the world occupied about a square mile between halsted street, ashland avenue, 39th and 47th streets. For the jungle, a 26yearold sinclair spent seven weeks in chicago, touring stockyards and slaughterhouses and interviewing the laborers there, along with priests, bartenders, policemen. At last there is a book for all of us, whatever we choose to call chicago. Theattractions of the garden city have been so greatly augmented thatnow it is only one of the many objects of interest. Chicagos union stock yard and the world it made surveys the citys meatpacking industry from its mid nineteenthcentury origins to its postworld war ii demise and beyond. Day and night, visitors come to the stockyards to get a taste of the true american west. Finally, during the latter part of the twentieth century, slaughterhouses in the united states were relocated to small rural communities, which began to exhibit negative consequences. Slaughterhouse is an accessible introduction to the history of chicagos famous stockyards, holding appeal for a. This circle would allow workers to unload and load goods, avoiding the rail congestion closer downtown.
I came to england as a student 35 years ago, and stayed, but the books ive written are almost uniformly. Utterly bad an illustrated history of chicago theatre 18371974. How chicago became hog butcher for the world in his new book, slaughterhouse, chicago historian dominic pacyga goes back to his roots as a laborer in the southside stockyards. Nov 23, 2015 they closed some 44 years ago, but chicagos union stockyards profoundly shaped the development of the city and the modern world. The books eponymous heroine is a country girl who arrives in the city and, bored by the drudgery of her factory job. The salt opened in 1865, chicago s union stock yard was the greatest livestock market the world had seen. Dec 03, 2015 how chicago s slaughterhouse spectacles paved the way for big meat. He and his family live near the stockyards and meatpacking district where many immigrants, who do not know much english, work. For pacyga, a history professor at columbia college chicago.
In this weeks roundup of chicago book news, slaughterhouse by dominic a. Public transportation, as we now conceive of it, began in chicago in 1859, 26 years after the state of illinois incorporated it as a city. A history of flame and folly in the jungle disaster by john f. Slaughterhouse is an accessible introduction to the history of chicagos famous stockyards, holding appeal for a general audienceparticularly those interested in chicago historyand undergraduates. Jan 16, 2018 the union stockyards left an indelible mark on chicagos history, not only defining the city as hogbutcher for the world, but also provided jobs for the many immigrants coming to chicago. They closed some 44 years ago, but chicagos union stockyards profoundly shaped the development of the city and the modern world. Pacygas extensive chicago scholarship, slaughterhouse. Sirens wailed across the city, as fivesixths of chicagos pumpers and ladder trucks raced to the stockyards. A chicago historian tackles 5 questions about the citys history by katie obrien, alexandra salomon oct. Courtesy of university of chicago pressdominic pacyga dave talks with author dominic pacyga about his new book marking the 150 th anniversary of the opening of the stockyards. Chanute submitted a competitive design for the union stock yards of chicago, and this having been selected in preference to a score of other designs, he was made chief engineer of the yards, and. The union stockyards left an indelible mark on chicagos history, not only defining the city as hogbutcher for the world, but also provided. Someoftheleadingchicago packerstooka prominent part in the launchingand early management of the company, but ina shorttime all oftheninedirectors were officials.
Nov 22, 2015 chicagos union stockyards from the book. In his book slaughterhouse, published last october, the columbia college chicago history professor dominic pacyga traces the rise, fall and rebirth of. Pacyga explores the history of the union stock yards, and the paperback of on immunity by eula biss will be released. A visual journey through chicago s union stockyards please use the documents in this weebly in order to investigate the environment, conditions and legacy of chicago s union stockyards.
Dec 20, 2011 dominic pacyga shares history of chicagos stockyards in slaughterhouse they closed some 44 years ago, but chicagos union stockyards profoundly shaped the development of the city and the modern world. The main character in the book, jurgis rudkus, a lithuanian immigrant, tries to make ends meet in chicago. Dominic pacyga, a local historian and former stockyard worker, tells the story in his new book slaughterhouse. Union stockyard in chicago during the late nineteenth century. Because the fort worth stockyards is a cherished civic jewel, everpopular visitor and beloved hometown attraction, the appetite for a firstclass visual record of the history and charm in book form is assured and will be ongoing as new waves of visitors look for a beautiful and affordable souvenir of their experience. Online orders will not be filled until the chicago history museum online store reopens. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a centralized processing area. How chicagos slaughterhouse spectacles paved the way for big meat. In addition to providing employment for newly arriving europeans. Stickney, president of the chicago great western railroad, laid out a plan in 1888 for a onemile circle, called stickneys circle.
From the civil war until the 1920s and peaking in 1924, more meat was processed in chicago than in any other place in the world. Strangers immediately upon their arrival in the city, werein the habit of asking the location of that wonderful industry. In the midnineteenth century, as westward expansion increased and railroads developed, stockyard companies formed in order to meet the demand of a growing nation. Important part of chicago history i remember driving past the old chicago stock yards when they were thriving in the 1950s, when my uncle was a foreman in swifts meatpacking plant, when thousands of people worked there, when you could smell that awful smell all. Great chicago fire, conflagration that began on october 8, 1871, and burned until early october 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of chicago.
May 04, 2020 great chicago fire, conflagration that began on october 8, 1871, and burned until early october 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of chicago. Badass women of chicago history storytelling event for. Dominic pacyga shares history of chicagos stockyards in slaughterhouse they closed some 44 years ago, but chicagos union stockyards profoundly shaped the development of the city and the modern world. We appreciate your support and understanding during this time. With 200 chicago police officers doing crowd control at the yards, volunteers manned their beats. Oct 15, 2015 how chicago became hog butcher for the world in his new book, slaughterhouse, chicago historian dominic pacyga goes back to his roots as a laborer in the southside stockyards. Chanute submitted a competitive design for the union stock yards of chicago, and this having been selected in preference to a score of other designs, he was made chief engineer of the yards, and supervised their construction. The sheep, pressed by the driver and frightened by the surroundings and confusion, move very. Sep 10, 2015 in this weeks roundup of chicago book news, slaughterhouse by dominic a.
Construction began in june 1865 with an opening on christmas day in 1865. Chicagos union stockyards gate ordinary philosophy. The history of the stockyards is the subject of dominic pacygas slaughterhouse. This handout will be turned in at the end of class. Explore chicagos history with cpls digital and archival collections, recommended books and blog posts. Chicago historian dominic pacygas latest book slaughterhouse. Pacyga is also the author of chicagos seminal book of history, chicago. Old stone gate exchange and 42nd street, chicago the old stone gate to the chicago stockyards became a national historical landmark in 1981. The book begins with his wife ona and his wedding feast. The salt opened in 1865, chicagos union stock yard was the greatest livestock market the world had seen. Between 1866 and 1890, drovers trailed more than four million head of cattle through fort worth.