Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then & Now Collection."
STEVE HARMON
Hutch Post Contributor
Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the southwest corner of Avenue E and south Main streets.
In 1907, the Kansas City Stock Yard Company, after acquiring the Hutchinson Stock Yard at Ave. F and Main, paid the Armour Company $500,000 to build a packing house.
The packing house took the Swift & Co. name, which already had other facilities by that name. The first photo shows the plant with its creamery about 1930.
By December 1902 it was hugely successful. That month alone, Swift & Co. shipped 161,186 pounds of poultry from Hutch. Fat turkeys, chickens, ducks and geese were sent to both the East & West coasts — 95,000 pounds of this was dressed here before shipping.
Four railcars were shipped alive. Theodore Roosevelt was president between 1901 to 1909. He championed breaking up bad trusts during his Square Deal domestic policies. Swift & Co. was one of those. The plant closed in 1938.
The cost of rehabbing the old building was too much. It was consolidated into other facilities. Between 1947 to 1958, it was the Crown Poultry Products Inc. and the ARKAY Egg Products Co.
On Nov. 29, 1958, the old building burned down. The second photo shows the property today. Most of it has been taken over by the Tyson Foods Company, except the very corner that is still the Richard Gray Barber Shop.
To purchase a print, contact: [email protected].
Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:
Gambino's Pizza
Sleep Shoppe & Furniture Gallery
Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce
STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum
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