Unloading docks, Union Stock Yards, South Omaha, Neb.
Description
Color postcard (14 x 9 cm.) with a view of the unloading docks of the Union Stockyards in South Omaha, Nebraska. There are several cattle and sheep pens to the right, train tracks running to the left, and large buildings on the far left. Sheep are being herded down the aisle. The title "The Unloading Docks, Union Stock Yards, South Omaha, Neb." is in the top right of the image. On the reverse side of the postcard are the typeset words "Omaha - The Convention City of the West".
Few industries say "Omaha" like the stockyards. The stockyards began in 1883 when Wyoming cattle baron, Alexander Swan, wanted a livestock market closer than Chicago, IL. Together with six local businessmen he formed the Union Stockyards on December 1, 1883. The livestock pens covered acres of land. Between 1907 and 1910, most of the old pens were rebuilt with elevated walkways. Buyers could then view the animals without threading their way through the pens. In the early 20th century, Union Stockyards was the world's largest sheep market. The stock yards were dependent upon Union Pacific Railroad to bring livestock to market. On average, 20,000 animals per day arrived at the Union Stockyards for slaughter. Omaha Stockyards: A Century of Marketing; Commemorative Book: 1884-1984. Omaha, NE, 1984, p. 8-11.
