Pork Packing Industry
TEACHERS
This is a chomolithograph published in 1873 by Ehrgott & Krebs. During the nineteenth century, many Ohioans earned their livelihood through meatpacking. Cincinnati emerged as one of the major meatpacking centers of the United States. By the middle of the 1800’s, the city was known as “Porkopolis,” due to meatpacking’s importance to Cincinnati’s economy. The Ohio River, the National Road, the Miami and Erie Canal, and railroads all provided Cincinnati residents with quick and easy access to markets. In 1887, meatpacking was the second largest business in Cincinnati behind iron production. It brought more than 23.5 million dollars to the City’s economy that year. For additional information on the meatpacking industry in Cincinnati visit: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Meatpacking?rec=1547 – http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/02/18/when-hogs-ruled.html
This is a chomolithograph published in 1873 by Ehrgott & Krebs. During the nineteenth century, many Ohioans earned their livelihood through meatpacking. Cincinnati emerged as one of the major meatpacking centers of the United States. By the middle of the 1800’s, the city was known as “Porkopolis,” due to meatpacking’s importance to Cincinnati’s economy. The Ohio River, the National Road, the Miami and Erie Canal, and railroads all provided Cincinnati residents with quick and easy access to markets. In 1887, meatpacking was the second largest business in Cincinnati behind iron production. It brought more than 23.5 million dollars to the City’s economy that year. For additional information on the meatpacking industry in Cincinnati visit: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Meatpacking?rec=1547 – http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/02/18/when-hogs-ruled.html
Courtesy of the Library of congress, LC-DIG-pga-03169
This Print shows the various stages of a packing house including: killing, cutting, rendering and salting.
Student Questions:
- Where do you think the people in the last picture (bottom right) are?
- Why was pork important to Cincinnati? (research may be needed)
- Where did the pigs come from?
- Does this type of industry still exist in Cincinnati today?