Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha facts for kids
The Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha was a very important business in South Omaha, Nebraska. It started in 1878 and became a huge market where farmers brought their animals, like cattle and pigs, to be sold. Imagine a giant marketplace just for livestock!
This company's stockyards in South Omaha were once a big competitor to the famous Union Stock Yards in Chicago, Illinois. For many years, it helped South Omaha grow and thrive. The company was eventually sold in 1973.
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The Start of the Stockyards
Six local businessmen created the Union Stockyards on December 1, 1883. They bought a large area of land, about 2,000 acres (8 square kilometers). These businessmen also formed the South Omaha Land Company. This company helped plan and build the city of South Omaha on the remaining land.
In 1915, the city of Omaha officially took over South Omaha. The stockyards were a central part of the area. Many other businesses grew up around them, like the Union Stockyards Bank and the South Omaha Terminal Railway.
The Livestock Exchange Building
In 1927, the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha built a special place called the Livestock Exchange Building. This large building was where all the business operations happened. It was like the main office for buying and selling animals.
A Major Part of South Omaha
The stockyards were very important for the meatpacking industry in South Omaha. Meatpacking is where animals are processed into meat products. South Omaha's growth depended almost entirely on these two industries for over 100 years.
In 1957, it was estimated that these industries employed about half of all workers in Omaha. This shows how big and vital the stockyards were to the local economy.
Changes and Closure
Over time, the way livestock was bought and sold began to change. The Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha started to lose value in the 1960s.
In 1973, a company from New York bought the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha. Then, in 1999, the city of Omaha closed the stockyards for good. A new business park was built in its place.
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