Sioux City History
Your link to the past.
Sioux City Stock Yards
The history of the Sioux City stockyards goes back to the very earliest days of our town. It is a colorful story that includes livestock and businessmen, immigrants and packing plants, glory and tragedy. It involves historic Sioux City names like James Booge, John Peirce, F. L. Eaton and Holman Waitt.
Aalfs Manufacturing Company
From varnish and paint to glass and garments the Aalfs Manufacturing Company has been an important part of Sioux City since 1892. Though the business has undergone major changes in is past, Aalfs has long been a well-recognized name in the community. More than manufacturing, however, the Aalfs family has contributed both time and money to make Sioux City a better place for residents.
American Pop Corn Company
Jolly Time popcorn began in the basement of the Cloid H. Smith home in the year 1914. The Smiths soon realized that popcorn aged and dried for a year popped better than new corn; and in 1915 a larger building was built to provide ventilation to help the corn dry. The company continued strong growth throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
Palmer Candy Company
The Palmer Candy name has been well known in Sioux City for over one hundred years. From a relatively small beginning in wholesale groceries, the company became the largest confectioner in Sioux City and one of the largest in Iowa. The company’s name is now recognized across the United States. Just as important, however, have been the actions of five generations of the Palmer family since their arrival in Sioux City in the late nineteenth century.
Sioux City Brick and Tile Company
Brick and Tile manufacturing has been a very important part of Sioux City’s history. The earliest settlers in Sioux City and Woodbury County recognized the possibilities of rich clay deposits in the Loess Hills and started making brick and tile for many building projects. By 1890 there were seven brickyards in and around Sioux City producing tens of millions of bricks a year. In the early twentieth century the Sioux City Brick and Tile Company started operating in Sergeant Bluff and has been an integral part of the community since that time.
T. S. Martin Department Store
In 1880 Thomas S. Martin opened the T. S. Martin Company, a dry goods store, at 49 Fourth Street in Sioux City. He was joined by George Westcott, and later by his brother, James P. Martin.
T. S. Martin Realty Company
T. S. Martin and the Martin family were leading forces in the development of commerce and real estate in Sioux City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with starting one of the city’s most successful department stores, the T. S. Martin Company invested in real estate and developing downtown Sioux City into a major business district.