Date: 1953

 

Description: This is a receipt of sale between Louis Romaneski, a producer out of Bancroft, Nebraska, and Armour & Company, the second of the “Big Three” packing houses in Sioux City. The sale was handled by the Sioux City Livestock Commission Company. Romaneski likely shipped his livestock to the Sioux City by rail after contacting a commission agent at the Sioux City Livestock Commission Company in charge of selling his hogs at market. On the main part of the receipt, Armour & Company is listed as the purchaser, and the quantity and weight of the hogs involved. The selling price is listed on the right-hand column. Underneath this portion of the receipt are the various other fees associated with the sale. The top two rows are the transportation fees for getting the hogs from farm to market. Most of the remaining fees were incurred from the Sioux City Stock Yards Company, and concern the materials and fees for housing, feeding, and caring for the animals until they were moved to the packing plant. The final row in this section is the fee or commission charged by the Sioux City Livestock Commission Company for arranging the sale.

 

Armour & Company started in Chicago in 1863 and came to Sioux City in 1901 and quickly occupied the old Silberhorn plant. The next year the plant burned down, but Armour wanted to stay in the area and rebuilt a brand new plant right where the old one stood. Armour stayed a large business in Sioux City throughout much of the city’s history. In Sioux City Armour processed fertilizer, sausage, and oleomargarine. Armor was forced to close its plant in Sioux City in 1963 due to the declining meat industry in the city. In 1970 Armor was bought by Greyhound and thereafter was sold off to other businesses like Revlon and ConAgra Foods.

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Donor: Neal Shreve