By the late 1800s, Chicago
had become a major trade center. During the Civil War, the north-south trade
routes were cut off, and Chicago stepped up. Because of Chicago's location on Lake Michigan, proximity to livestock farms, and volume of trains coming and going, it was soon producing 82% of the nation’s meat.
Meat-packing became a very profitable business, especially for companies like Armour and Swift, who were two of the biggest meat-packing companies. In 1863, Armour & Company Meat Packing grossed approximately $110 million (over $2 billion today). Although it was good business, working in a packinghouse was one of the most dangerous jobs in Chicago. |
My Kind of Town "By 1900 the original 320-acre site grew to 475 acres, now with a pen capacity for 75,000 cattle, 50,000 sheep, 300,000 hogs, and 5,000 horses. In that year 14,622,315 animals filled its vast array of pens and chutes." "There are about 13,000 pens, 8,500 of which are covered for the housing of sheep and hogs. The record receipts for a single day are 49,128 cattle, 122,749 hogs, and 71,792 sheep."-- M. S. Parkhurst |