Stockyards City
Stockyards City was founded October 3, 1910, and was built to serve
the nation as a primary source for meat processing and packing.
By 1915, Morris, Wilson and Armour all established huge packing
facilities to slaughter the cattle, hogs and sheep which were transported
first by cattle drive and later by railroad and truck. The area's
nickname for a time was "Packingtown." By 1961, faced
with complete overhaul and updating of equipment, the packing plants
decided to close. However, the Stockyards still retains its profitable
cattle trading and related businesses.
Since its founding, Stockyards City has been the place for cattlemen,
horsemen, farmers, ranchers and real cowboys to come for apparel,
equipment, supplies, a good meal, and the opportunity to catch up
on what was going on over a cold sarsaparilla with fellow cattlemen.
For over 80 years, Stockyards City has continually offered the kind
of quality products and services which are synonymous with the heritage
of the West.
Today, Stockyards City is part of the Main Street USA program.
Area businesses are working hard to recapture the architectural
flavor of the earlier part of this century, with gaslights and wooden
storefronts. A number of special events have sprung up as well,
including Longhorn Cattle Drive each December, sidewalk sales between
Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Stockyards Stampede the first
weekend each June. The Stampede is a western heritage, culture and
music festival which features national and regional entertainment,
the Bullistic Rodeo, chili and barbeque cookoffs, western arts and
crafts, demonstrations and re-enactments. The festival is free,
but there is admission charged for the evening concerts.
Stockyard City is the home of the largest stocker/feeder cattle
market in the world. Since its inception, more than 102,000,000
head of livestock have passed through the iron gates leading to
the Stockyards operation. Cattle auctions are held Monday through
Wednesday each week with tours available on Mondays from 8 a.m.
throughout the day at the Oklahoma National Stockyards Company.
Many of the businesses in Stockyards City date back to the early
1900s when the area was home to the major meat packing companies.
A good example is Langston's Western Wear, established in 1916.
Back then it was called "The Friendly Store," and was
one of Oklahoma's best known general stores. Today, the merchandise
is authentic western attire.
Other area stores also offer a wide selection of boots, belts,
buckles, hats and accessories. And if you can't find what you need
off the shelf, there are highly skilled artisans ready to custom
make whatever you need.
Since the area was first settled, saddle making and repairing have
been important factors at Stockyard City. Working cowboys depend
on their gear, and this is where they come when their equipment
needs work. Visitors can watch these skilled craftsmen at work creating
prize saddles, belts, hats, boots and other accessories.
There are all sorts of unique operations in the area. For example,
Stockyards City is the headquarters for the International Professional
Rodeo Association (IPRA), one of the two rodeo sanctioning bodies
in America. The IPRA oversees more than 400 rodeo events each year.
There are also several art, gift and antique galleries in the Stockyards
that are definitely worth a visit.
Stockyard City is a "must see" when visiting Oklahoma
City. The store owners and community leaders have all worked very
hard in keeping Stockyard City from becoming "touristy."
It's a place where the cattle and horse people can get what they
need, have a good meal and enjoy each other's company. And, by golly,
if a few greenhorns manage to wrangle their way into the boot shop,
that's okay, too. They won't find any "My parents went to Stockyard
City and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" shirts or Elvis
salt and pepper shakers. But they may leave knowing what a real
steak tastes like, and that real boots don't come from Bloomingdale's.
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