1830s: Pork Production

  Beardstown

In 1833, Beardstown flourishes as a town and port on the Illinois River. Beardstown owes its success to the Illinois River and the transportation it provides. Most towns in the interior part of the state receive their supplies from Beardstown and ship their goods from Beardstown to New Orleans (ESLARP 1999).

Pork production is Beardstown’s chief industry in the 1830s and includes hog-pens and slaughterhouses. As many as seven slaughterhouses exist in Beardstown; 50,000-60,000 hogs are butchered each spring. Hog farming is successful in central Illinois because of the prairies. Hogs run at large and grow and multiply quickly. Hogs, fed on corn, convert the corn into a more marketable and profitable commodity. Such is the emphasis on pork production that Beardstown is often called “Porkapolis” (ESLARP 1999).