1865: Opening of the Peoria and Chicago Stock Yards

  Peoria

In 1874, the Peoria Union Stock Yards are founded due to the “sagacity and foresight” (Johnson & Johnson 1880) of Mr. Thomas Neill. The Stock Yards are said to have

sprung up so quietly and yet so rapidly, that probably not a dozen persons in the city are aware of the really colossal proportions it has already has assumed, and it compares favorably in the amount of values handled with the two other leading interests - distilling and grain (Johnson & Johnson).

In 1878, over 37,000 head of cattle are received in the stockyards by rail and another 13,000 arrive on hoof. Hogs also arrive in prodigious numbers as well: 235,000 by rail and another 65,000 on hoof. The question is, can Peoria sustain this level of hog and cattle production? The answer is yes. To sustain local demand, Peoria requires between 10,000 and 15,000 head of cattle and 50,000-100,000 hogs. In addition, Peoria “is a natural half-way house, and distributing point between the fat pastures of the West, and the hungry markets of the East” (Johnson & Johnson 1880). Cattle receipts from the Stock Yards increase 25% from 1877 to 1878 and 125% for hogs during the same period.

The Stock Yards are located on 30-35 acres at the “lower end of the city.” As hogs and cattle are processed, the offal is dumped into the river for efficient and cost-effective disposal. Concerns are not raised regarding the effects this has on the water quality of the river. Nor does anyone evaluate the impacts of the runoff from the pens containing thousands of cattle and hogs.