Union Stockyards Gate

the Union Stockyards Gate is part of Chicago .

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Union Stockyards
Made by Comtesse DeSpair
I finally took a trip down to the southside to see the Union Stockyards gate this weekend. (It's only been on my to do list for three years.) I took Holga shots in color, black and white, and infrared, as well as some shots with my digital camera, but I'm sure none of the other shots came out as ghostly as this infrared one. Too bad that power line was there to sully the image. Anyway, the Union Stockyards gate was designed by Burnham and Root and was built in 1875. Just beyond this gate was a Hell On Earth where over a billion animals met a horrible death in dire conditions. The stock yards were originally over 475 acres of yuck that gave Chicago the unsavory name Hog Butcher Of The World. The gate itself is really quite lovely though - the one redeemable thing about the whole sorry affair. Incidentally, Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle was written about the horrid and unsanitary conditions at this location. I must get around to reading that one of these days. There used to be a creek that flowed through it that was known as Bubbly Creek because of all the bubbles caused by the acids from the decaying animals and the animal waste that would pop to the surface of the water. There was a lava-like layer of muck along the edges of the creek, which was basically a sewer for the animal waste. Can you imagine the smell? The creek was filled in and a replaced with a sewer in the early '20's. I have heard that you can still see some bubbles in the nearby river though, although I didn't find my way to it. (This area is surprisingly confusing!) The stock yards closed in 1971 (thank goodness) and this is one of the only remaining clues to its existence. Through the gates you can see a memorial statue for firefighters killed in the line of duty. An uglier memorial I have never seen - I'll have to share that one when I get my other roll of film developed.

Entrance to the Chicago Stockyards
Made by evanembee
Detail of the entrance to the old Chicago Stockyards For more: www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/U/UnionStock.html

Union Stockyards
Made by sidmuchrock
The Magnificent 7 Scooter Club hosted a photo scavenger hunt. 7 clues were given. Dan and Jane Epstein were on my team. Here are our photos at each location.

Chicago Stockyards, Entrance (detail)
Made by evanembee

Nearest places of interest:

Englewood
Corwith Yard
CTA 43rd Street Station
55th Street Red Line stop

Bridgeport Neighborhood
US Cellular Field
Boat yard-- now vacant
Fisk Generating Station