Cattle division, Union Stock Yards, South Omaha, Neb.
Description
Color postcard (14 x 9 cm.) with an aerial (birds eye) view of the cattle pens of the Union Stockyards in South Omaha, Nebraska. This image shows an elevated walkway above the pens, and a cross walk over an aisle with some people standing on it and watching cattle being released from one of the pens. There are buildings on both the right and left of the aisle. In the distance is a bridge. The title "Cattle Division, Union Stock Yards, South Omaha, Neb." is in the top left corner. 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.
