During this period, meatpacking operations took place primarily during the fall and winter months. Curing, pickling, or smoking improved the taste of pork, whereas beef was usually only available as fresh meat in the late fall. Before the advent of mechanical refrigeration, the availability of fresh meat was limited, and meat required processing for commercial sale. Although not as centralized in the Midwest as it would be later in the twentieth century, the industry was nevertheless concentrated in midwestern towns with transportation access via waterwaysĪnd access to animal supplies, especially hogs. Until the Civil War era, meatpacking was primarily located in the Ohio River valley, particularly in and around Cincinnati. Nevertheless, workers struggled to improve their conditions, primarily through the formation of labor unions. As The Jungle makes vividly clear, meatpacking also took a toll on its workers' lives in many ways. In turn, meatpacking significantly influenced the Midwest's demographics and standards of living. The industry capitalized on the growth of livestock farming in the Midwest, and it became one of the engines of the commercial and marketing expansion in the state and contributed centrally to American economic development. Illinois' role in meatpacking demonstrates the importance of agro-industrial expansion in the state, the region, and the nation. In fact, studying the meatpacking industry is one of the most useful prisms through which students can understand American industrial evolution and its impacts, including the history of workers and the labor movement.

Because of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, nearly everyone knows that meatpacking was a central part of Illinois' economy and history.

The jungle 1905