The Union Stockyards: Chicago’s Flag's Fifth Star
Taylor Jemilo
Chicago History Final
The Union Stockyards: Chicago’s Fifth Star
Beginning in the early 1860s the way of life in America was beginning to change at a very rapid pace. With tensions in the country growing due to various political struggles, a Civil War was nearly inevitable. When a war finally did break out in April of 1861 resources and a way to move those resources was needed more than ever before. One of the most necessary resources, food, was scarce to soldiers because of the lack of technology available to ship it before it would perish. It was nearly impossible to be able to properly nourish soldiers throughout the war, and given those hardships ingenuity prevailed. To be able to properly feed all of the Union soldiers, Northerners looked for a place where food could be both produced and shipped limiting the amount of time the food would be in circulation and could thus expire. Because of its centralized location, Chicago already served the nation as an economic and trading epicenter. At the height of its economic power, Chicago was the perfect candidate to accept this challenge. In fact, many Chicagoans, including various tavern and deli owners, had ideas of massive stockyards even before they were necessary but did not have the means to make their ideas a reality. Because of the lack of technology, shop-keeps usually had to slaughter their animals on sight, which was tedious and very expensive. Out of necessity from the armed forces and desire by the people the Union Stockyards were born on the lower Southwest side of Chicago. The Union Stockyards of Chicago are deserving of a spot on Chicago’s flag as a fifth star because for more than a century between the 1860s and 1970s they served as a focal point of the city bringing industrialization and business opportunities, uncountable invaluable innovations as well as serving as a staple of daily life in Chicago at the time. With an enormous railroad business already
Chicago History Final
The Union Stockyards: Chicago’s Fifth Star
Beginning in the early 1860s the way of life in America was beginning to change at a very rapid pace. With tensions in the country growing due to various political struggles, a Civil War was nearly inevitable. When a war finally did break out in April of 1861 resources and a way to move those resources was needed more than ever before. One of the most necessary resources, food, was scarce to soldiers because of the lack of technology available to ship it before it would perish. It was nearly impossible to be able to properly nourish soldiers throughout the war, and given those hardships ingenuity prevailed. To be able to properly feed all of the Union soldiers, Northerners looked for a place where food could be both produced and shipped limiting the amount of time the food would be in circulation and could thus expire. Because of its centralized location, Chicago already served the nation as an economic and trading epicenter. At the height of its economic power, Chicago was the perfect candidate to accept this challenge. In fact, many Chicagoans, including various tavern and deli owners, had ideas of massive stockyards even before they were necessary but did not have the means to make their ideas a reality. Because of the lack of technology, shop-keeps usually had to slaughter their animals on sight, which was tedious and very expensive. Out of necessity from the armed forces and desire by the people the Union Stockyards were born on the lower Southwest side of Chicago. The Union Stockyards of Chicago are deserving of a spot on Chicago’s flag as a fifth star because for more than a century between the 1860s and 1970s they served as a focal point of the city bringing industrialization and business opportunities, uncountable invaluable innovations as well as serving as a staple of daily life in Chicago at the time. With an enormous railroad business already
Bibliography: 1. Historical Society, Chicago. "Slaughterhouse to the World." History Files- The Stockyards. Chicago Historical Society, 2011. Web. 2011. . 2. Anderson, Jon. "The Chicago Stockyards." Chicago Tribune. 2011. Web. 2011. . 3. "Stockyards, The Union." WTTW News. 2011. Web. 2011. . 4. Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. Cambridge, MA: R. Bentley, 1971. Print. 5. "Stockyards in Chicago Greatest in Whole World." Chicago Daily Tribune 16 Nov. 1910: A8. Chicago Tribune. Web. .] 6. Wilson, Mark, Stephen Porter, and Janice Reiff. "Armour & Co." Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Web. 2011. . 7. "American Experience | Chicago: City of the Century." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. Web. 2011. .