Kansas City Stockyards

[citation needed] Previously, livestock owners west of Kansas City could only sell at whatever price the railroad offered.

In 1878 it expanded from its original 13 acres (53,000 m2) to 55, added loading docks on both the Kansas and Missouri Pacific tracks, new sheds for hogs and sheep, and developed one of the largest horse and mule markets in the country.

Of these, 1,194,527 were purchased for use in Kansas City by the packing houses and local markets; the remainder or about 55 percent was shipped out.

The stockyard's biggest heritage then became the annual six-week American Royal agricultural show held each October and November nearby at Kemper Arena until 2010.

The naming rights to Kemper Arena were sold to Mosaic Life Care in 2016, but the healthcare company gave them back.