Stockyards Exchange facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Stockyards Exchange
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The west side of the Stockyards Exchange building in South St. Paul.
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| Location | 200 N. Concord St. South St. Paul, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1887 |
| Architect | Charles A. Reed |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001235 |
| Added to NRHP | March 7, 1979 |
The Stockyards Exchange is a historic building in South St. Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1887 by a company called the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha. This building was once a very busy place. It held offices for businesses connected to the large stockyards nearby.
Stockyards are big areas where farm animals like cattle, pigs, and sheep are bought and sold. The stockyards in South St. Paul grew to be the biggest in the United States. The Stockyards Exchange building also had a post office, city offices, and the city's first bank.
A Hub for Animal Trade
The stockyards were started in 1886 by Alpheus Beede Stickney. He was the president of a railway company. The stockyards attracted major meatpacking plants. These are factories where meat is prepared for people to eat.
Two big companies, Swift & Company and Armour and Company, built plants near the stockyards. During World War II, the stockyards were extremely busy. They helped provide food for the country.
Changes Over Time
After the 1960s, the stockyards started to decline. This happened because the way animals were bought and sold changed. Also, meatpacking businesses began to move to other places.
Swift closed its plant in 1969, and Armour closed theirs in the 1970s. The Stockyards Exchange building then faced some challenges. In 1976, the city bought the building.
New Owners and Uses
A company bought the building in 1979. Soon after, some people caused a lot of damage by flooding it. Later, a private developer tried to fix it up, but couldn't finish the work.
In 1998, a couple opened the building as a hotel called the Castle Hotel. However, it was only open for about a year. Today, the Stockyards Exchange building can be rented for private events like parties or meetings.
