Sheely Packing Company

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The Sheely Packing Company was located at South 27th Avenue and Martha Street in South Omaha, Nebraska. The plant was the namesake of the surrounding Sheelytown neighborhood, which was predominantly Polish, with many other immigrants as well. [1] It was the first substantial meatpacking operation in Omaha, which preceded the founding of the city's large meatpacking industry.

South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union Stockyards. Annexed by the City of Omaha in 1915, the community has numerous historical landmarks many are within the South Omaha Main Street Historic District.

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History

Founded by former South Omaha fire chief Joseph Sheely, the Sheely Packing Company was established when Sheely bought the stockyards that were established by David Cook in 1871. It was January 1880. Joseph was one of the incorporators of the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha in the 1870s. [2] His packing plant sat on the new South Omaha Terminal Railway, southeast of Hanscom Park. [3] Sheely's company processed 15,000 hogs annually until his plant burnt down in 1886. [4]

Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha

The Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha was a 90-year-old company first founded in South Omaha, Nebraska in 1876 by John A. Smiley. After being moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa and dissolved within a year, the company was reorganized and moved to South Omaha in 1883. Six local businessmen responded to a request by Wyoming cattle baron Alexander Swan showing interest in a livestock market closer than the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, Illinois. The Company's Union Stockyards in South Omaha were once a fierce rival of Chicago's Union Stock Yards. The Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha was bought out in 1973.

The South Omaha Terminal Railway in Omaha, Nebraska was a subsidiary of the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha. Until the separate railroad company was created in July 1927, the trackage, about 17 miles (27 km), was owned and operated directly by the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha. On April 4, 1978, an Interstate Commerce Commission emergency service order was issued at which time the Brandon Corporation took over service.

Hanscom Park human settlement in United States of America

Hanscom Park is a historic neighborhood in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Its namesake public park is one of the oldest parks in Omaha, donated to the City in 1872. U.S. President Gerald R. Ford was born in a house in the Hanscom Park neighborhood. Its boundaries are Center Street on the north, South 42nd on the west, Interstate 480 on the east and I-80 on the south.

See also

History of Omaha, Nebraska

The history of Omaha, Nebraska began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian Country, William D. Brown was operating the Lone Tree Ferry to bring settlers from Council Bluffs to Omaha. A treaty with the Omaha Tribe allowed the creation of the Nebraska Territory, and Omaha City was founded on July 4, 1854. With early settlement came claim jumpers and squatters, and the formation of a vigilante law group called the Omaha Claim Club, which was one of many claim clubs across the Midwest. During this period many of the city's founding fathers received lots in Scriptown, which was made possible by the actions of the Omaha Claim Club. The club's violent actions led to the U.S. Supreme Court trial, Baker v. Morton, which led to the end of the organization.

Economy of Omaha, Nebraska

The economy of Omaha, Nebraska has served as a major commercial hub in the Midwestern United States since its founding in 1854. Dubbed the "Motor Mouth City" by The New York Times, Omaha is widely regarded as the telecommunications capital of the United States. The city's economy includes agriculture, food processing, insurance, transportation, healthcare and education. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway has lived in Omaha all of his life, as have the ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific Railroad and Mutual of Omaha Companies, and Kiewit Corporation, all Fortune 500 corporations.

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Sheelytown was a historic ethnic neighborhood in South Omaha, Nebraska, USA with populations of Irish, Polish and other first generation immigrants. Located north of the Union Stockyards, it was bounded by Edward Creighton Boulevard on the north, Vinton Street on the south, South 24th Street to the east, and 35th Street to the west. Sheelytown was named for the Sheely Brothers Packing Houses that were located in the area. Sheelytown was annexed by Omaha in 1887. The Omaha Quartermaster Depot was built just east of the community across the Union Pacific tracks.

Poles in Omaha, Nebraska arrived relatively early in the city's history. The first Polish immigrants came in the 1870s, and the community grew past 1000 in the late 1890s. By the 1930s there were 10,000 of Polish descent, and Omaha claimed the largest such community of the Great Plains. According to the 2000 United States Census, Omaha had a total population of 390,112 residents, of whom 18,447 claimed Polish ancestry. The city's Polish community was historically based in several ethnic enclaves throughout South Omaha, including Little Poland and Sheelytown, first dominated by Irish immigrants.

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Cudahy Packing Company

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The Swift Packing Plant was a division of Swift and Company located at South 27th and Q Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. The plant was opened in 1887 and closed in 1969. It covered approximately eight square blocks and consisted of several brick and stone buildings, and was located in proximity to the Omaha Stockyards. It was located on the South Omaha Terminal Railway, and next to the Omaha Stockyards, making Swift one of the "Big Four" packing companies in Omaha.

The Armour Packing Plant was a division of Armour and Company located at South 29th and Q Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. The plant opened in 1897 and closed in 1968. The plant included several buildings, including a remarkable red brick administrative building, and a large, tall wall which surrounded the facility. It was located on the South Omaha Terminal Railway, and next to the Omaha Stockyards, making Armour one of the "Big Four" packing companies in Omaha.

The Cudahy Packing Plant was a division of the Cudahy Packing Company located at South 36th and O Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. The plant was opened in 1885 and closed in 1967. The plant included more than 20 buildings that were one to six stories tall, covering five square blocks. It was located on the South Omaha Terminal Railway, and next to the Omaha Stockyards, making Cudahy one of the "Big Four" packing companies in Omaha.

The Wilson Packing Plant was a division of the Wilson and Company meatpacking company located near South 27th and Y Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in the 1890s, it closed in 1976. It occupied the area bounded by Washington Street, South 27th Street, W Street and South 30th Street. Located on the South Omaha Terminal Railway and next to the Omaha Stockyards, Wilson was regarded as one of the "Big Four" packing companies in Omaha.

Significant events in the history of Omaha, Nebraska, include social, political, cultural, and economic activities.

References

  1. Federal Writers Project. (1939) Nebraska: A guide to the Cornhusker state. Nebraska Historical Society. p 232.
  2. "Horse Cars, Street Lights, RR Bridge Were Added by '73", Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 8/28/10.
  3. (n.d.) Prospect Cemetery Omaha Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  4. "Omaha: The Gate City". Archive.org. Retrieved 8/28/10.

Coordinates: 41°14′21″N95°57′07″W / 41.23917°N 95.95194°W / 41.23917; -95.95194

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