With their origins in the thriving and political powerful butcher shops of 19th century Detroit, slaughterhouses became an integral part of Michigan’s economy by the late 1860s. Though Chicago dominated the beef industry, hogs came to define Detroit’s meatpacking culture. Because of its prolific nature, the industry sparked widespread loathing among locals who endured its stench and filth. With the prohibition on street slaughtering, large-scale slaughterhouses streamlined the butchering process and moved it outside of the city. By 1915, the industry employed over 3,500 men, earned 30 million dollars, and produced internationally renowned ham and bacon.
