Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-10-03
Beginnings in the Magic City that Grew Nightly in Time

Any man or woman Of the compare
lively tender ase Of g years Is older
than tils South Side, once called South
Omaha II h almost impossible 10 be-
heve that the thriving busy community
to the south r. only that old. Thirty
three ycarsl I'M the annals Of eastern
cities that IL merely a step and IN those
Of cities Of the old world Il IL a small
period that marks almost no change at
all.
Yet m thirty-thrce years South Side,
the Magic CITY," has sprung seemingly
by magic from the cornnelds.
The topography OF the site played a
part In the beginning OF the city IL
IL high and rolling the grounds sloping
toward the river. valley runs from
northwest to southeast. thus making the
drainage ideal
As early as 1876 John A. Smiley OF
Omaha organized the Union stock Yards
company for the purpose OF erecting
stockyards.
In 1871 the live stock committee Of the
Omaha Board of Trade reported that II
was impressed with the very generally
expressed views Of the Businessmen OF
Omaha and the stockraisers and shippers
of the importance Of stock yards and
packing and slaughtering houses being
erected and maintained here.
The Omaha stock yards was organized
IN April. 1873. In May Of the same year
the Union Stock Yards company, taking
the same name as the concern organized
by Mr.. Smiley In 1876. was organized by
william A. Paxton. J. l.. Lovett. w. J.
Broatch. W. c. b. Allen and Herman
Kountze.
From this the present great yards
have grown. Then for several years there
were prophesies, theories reasonings.
which finally resolved themselves into
firm resolves in 1873 when men who were
ready and willing to venture upon an
undertaking which seemed at the time TO
be extra hazardous. fixed on the farming
lands there for a plant
John r. Boyd was the first superin-
tendent Of the yards and did the first
actual labor toward organizing the work
and building the yards. Arthur shriver
was one OF the first men and was fol-
lowed In June. 1884. by Frank Boyd, ed
Cullen. ID. n. Scott and ike" Brayton.
Ed Hulett was the first weighmaster
and was succeeded by Ed Stearns m
1885. James Paxton. a nephew of Nv.
A., was the first tlmekeeper. Mr..
Hutchins was the first foreman of the
yards.
At the time OF opening the yards there
was no exchange building and so the
old Fred Drexel house. two-story
frame structure. twenty.eight by forty
feet, was purchased and used for the
purpose. The building stood just little
east OF the southeast corner OF the pres
ent exchange building. II had four
rooms on the first floor and six upstairs.
The first building erected on the stock
yards ate was a boarding house. Here,
before the yards were opened for bust
ness, graders and other worlSmen were
boarded and lodged. IL was known as
the Garfield House" and afterwards as
the Union Stock Yards Hotel"
After cattle began coming TO the yards,
not only those who had charge Of the
pens. but the 'knights OF the prod pole
who came In with stock. found accom-
mediation there. In 1886 several commits
sion firms took offices in tho hotel. Sub
sequently II was torn down and remains
only In history as South omaha's first
hotel.
The brick exchange building was
built in the fall and winter OF 1885. The
south Omaha Globe describes this epoch
marking building thus;
'srhe building will be four stories In
height. surmounted by a tower eighty
feet high. The ground floor win contain
the public offices. and private parlors