Stories about people

Vignettes written from longer oral histories related to the Ogden Union Stockyards

To view and alphabetized index instead, click here


Alice Petersen here at work (probably later at GSL Corp.) She she was mouthing off a little to guys in the office when this pic was taken. photo from the Alice Petersen estate collection digitized by www.Evalogue.Life - Tell Your Story, in 2017
Alice Petersen loved animals and carried that love over to a job at the Ogden Stockyards and Exchange Building. Her story is one worth remembering. Click here to read story

 

As a young Superintendent over what is now the Technical College, C. Brent Wallis had many colorful experiences in the Exchange Building.  Click here to read story

In high school, Mike used to shovel manure by the truckload to sell for fertilizer. He called it easy money. 

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The Bornemeier family runs Western Gateway cold storage, a company with over 100 years of history. 

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Bert Smith, Founder of Smith & Edwards got his start in the stockyards and later bought the Colosseum and Swift meatpacking building.  Click here to read story

Lee Witten takes a walk down memory lane. His dad worked on the railroad, his great-great-uncle was the first Stockyard manager, and now he volunteers with Union Station archives.

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Dallas Casey loved spending time clearing out the Swift Building. A labor of love for his grandfather, Bert Smith. Click here to read story.

Mark Lowther recalls his father working at Wilson meatpacking plant.

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Mike Gale loves to talk about his father’s days at Swift in Ogden.

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Sheep and R.J. Wight truck at the Ogden Union Stockyards. Thank you to Don Strack for generously sharing this photo, part of his extensive gallery.
Sheep and R.J. Wight truck

Verl Thompson wasn’t interested in farming. Swift caught his eye.

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Pablo Sanchez Sr. held a vital role for the Stockyards and Swift.  

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Rillon Champneys was shaped by his time at Swift.

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Clair Barrow learned how to work, invest and save money during his tenure at Swift. He also learned to love the taste of a good steak.

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Brian Opheikens, grandson-in-law to Bert Smith, the most recent property owner of the Swift Property has worked tirelessly to clean things out of the old property.

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A boat shop seemed like a perfect fit for the Swift property and Mike Casey stepped up to try it out.

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Wayne Vandersteen learned his way around a cow quickly at Swift.

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Joe “Junior” Story has some sour grapes over Swift.

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Alphabetized index of all vignettes and oral histories in this project

Link to Weber State University Oral history project related to the Ogden Union Stockyards