The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-07-30
PACKING
PLANT SITE
PURCHASED

tconrInuec from page ons)
son BY the Indiana Harbor Belt r. R.
and there transferred 10 through cars
leaving that night is an asset thar many
! cities arc very jealous Of. II IS said
i that Sears Roeouck ship more than for
! ty-nve cars OF this class OF freight
! through The L. G L. shipping platforms
every day
The principal Offices Of the new com
! pany Will be in Hammond. with Gostlin.
! Meyn Hastings who will have the
handling Of the property. This is the
/ largest tract Of ground to exchange
hands since the purchase from the East
| Chicago Co., BY the Schlessinger Steel
Co. Of their tract on the north side
This tract Of ground was plated in
1865 and contained forty acres. George
X Hammond. the founder Of the packing
house industry. decided to locate his hrst
plant here. Associated with him in this
enterprise were Marcus NJ Towle, Caleb
Ives and George w. Plunmer George
II. Hammond was the FIRST man to shin
fresh meats to eastern markets and for
eign shores and il was he who built the
first refrigerator car and placed il in
practical operation. Mr. Towle accom-
PANIED the first refri gerator car east and
also crossed the Atlantic ocean with the
first boat load Of fresh meats The orig
NAL purchasers thought their land was
located in Illinois and it was not until
years afterward that they discovered a
great deal Of their purchase laid in Indi-
ana The forty acres at that time was
owned By Ernest Holman. and they paid
cool 500 an acre for It, or $4,000 for
the entire tract. No such a town as
Hammond existed at that time for this
district was known as State Line Station
Mrs. Caroline Holman was at that
time the principal owner If real estate
here. Her holdings amounting 10 over
$50 acres. Most Of this surrounded the
new packing plant.
Around tho packing house site the vii
lage Of Hammond was built Plumner
St, now Plummer ave. was the busiest
thoroughfare that Hammond had on
this street the Hammond Co. built their
retail market. and after the days
Strengthening was done all OF the OK
tongues, the OK tails. livers and tender
loins were given away for the asking
Today the packers tell US. these by
products represent a. very important part
in their profits.
The business prosPered. The principal
reason that George IA Hammond built
his first plant here was to get nearer
the grazing fields OF live stock. and as
the ranges were built on. it became nee
essary for him to go further west and
establish branch houses at Omaha. Neb
and South St. Joseph Mo.
In the meantime the ownership or the
company passed from the control Of
George II. Hammond to various com
panies including ownership by an Eng
lish company.
On account Of the increased costs Of
shipping cattle to Hammond from the
Union Stock Yard is was decided TO move
To Chicago. so this was done in 1905 In
the meantime the control of the company
passed TO Frank E Vogel who was
a few years j ogden Armour purchased
the plant and around this concern the
National Packing Co. was formed. This
company was afterward dissolved
When the company left here. It was
predicted by the pessimists that Ham
mond was done FOR. A panic ensued, and
real estate was offered at ridiculous
prices. There were few buyers and Ham
mond was pretty well deserted. But
there were many stout-heated citizens
left, and this condition only spurred them
TO greater efforts u make Hammond
over resulting in the birth OF new city
of diversified industries. resulting in a
condition that never again would be de-
pendent upon one or more industries. |
Today she has more than seventy-five
different concerns manufacturing every
thing from steel passenger coach TO a
dandruff cure.
Hammond treatment to the small in
dustry spread throughout the entire
manufacturing world and her factory
territory has rapidly filed up This sit
began to attract attention OF many man
ufacturers. Its railway and water facil-
tiles we're on par with the great central
manufacturing district in Chicago. But
the owners would not sell unless the
purchaser took the piece in its entirety. |
Gostlin. Meyn & Hastings opened neso !
tiations and after many conferences. the
price was agreed upon and the deal
closed
1t viii surprise many to know that
the southeastern corner or this tract is
only 500 feet from the corner Of Holman
and State SITS. A complete private belt !
railway encircles the entire tract. Be
sides it has connection with the Michi |
gan Central. the Erie. the Monon. the |
Nickel Plate. the Chesapeake & Ohio, and |
the Indiana Harbor Belt railways. The |
Hammond. Whiting & East Chicago and
the Gary & Interurban electric railways |
are only block away
Better call up The Times and