KC Livestock history given to JCHS

Rich archival materials about the Kansas City Livestock Exchange have been given to the Jackson County Historical Society Archives at year's end.

Portrait of A.J. Epperson, a Kansas City Livestock Exchange Member

The materials received included minutes from the Livestock Exchange's Board of Directors meetings  from 1886 to 1957 and three gorgeous volumes of photographs of exchange members - all men - totaling 282 portraits.

One volume (100 photos) was published in 1919 and taken by the well-known Strauss Peyton photography studio. The other two volumes appear to be taken later and include another 182 photographs.

Here's an alphabetical index of all portraits.

The donation was received from Swift & Henry, a business located in the Kansas City Stockyards.

The Livestock Exchange Building was completed in 1911 and was, at one time, the largest livestock exchange building in the world. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building was located in the heart of the Kansas City stockyards.

JCHS hopes to make the materials available to researchers and the public in the near future.