Chicago Stockyards

The post last night caught my attention, I slightly remember being there when I was a little kid, remember being to Fort Sheridan to see my oldest brother and remember being scared to death on top of Tribune Tower and remember going to a rodeo.
I googled the stockyards last night and found where it was at and looked at a lot of pictures, think it started in 1865 and closed in 1971.
This morning I was still thinking about that and thought there was a something around here from my mother's stuff when she went to the nursing home years ago so after some digging I found the rodeo program at the amphitheatre, Oct. 10-17, 1953. I would have been 4 years old, my dad died 13 mo. later.

The American poet, called Chicago "Hog butcher for the world". I recall discharged from Army November 1962 in August i963 got called back in Reserves and sent to Fort Sheridan, I had a new 1963 and enjoyed Chicago every night. Did not think much about Hog Butcher at that time but did remember the quotation from English Lit class.

The American poet, called Chicago "Hog butcher for the world". I recall discharged from Army November 1962 in August i963 Ford got called back in Reserves and sent to Fort Sheridan, I had a new 1963 and enjoyed Chicago every night. Did not think much about Hog Butcher at that time but did remember the quotation from English Lit class.

Carl Sandburg poet

This brought back lots of memories.Growing up , we lived only 40 miles from " The Yards" and Dad was a cattle feeder. So I got there many times. I remember the " Stone Gate " where the truckers had to stop and go in and leave some info about where the cattle were to be unloaded.
The Exchange building was a very busy, interesting place every weekday morning. It smelled terriable, just like all the rest of the Yards, Pee Uuu. It was fun to go up on the roof , just to look at the whole place, never got caught!
Swift and Co. had a huge , multi storied building rite along the west side of the Yards so the cattle they bought could be drove rite to the slaughter house. Dad and I toured that place one time, will never forget how they killed the cattle, Never could do it like that today!
A few yrs latter when living 120 miles from Chicago, I rode in with a friendly truck driver many times. We would leave in the late afternoon and get home before daylite, depending on how long a wait to get unloaded at the yards.
On one trip there " run" of cattle for a Monday morning of about 27,000 head. That nite was a exprience. We sat out on Halstead St. for hours , waiting to get into to unload. What a nitemare !.clint