“In 1900 Peter and Barbara [Emge] were asked to buy the slaughterhouse, but in order to get the money they were forced to sell their home. They moved into a couple of rooms in a house just south of the Fort Branch High School, known as the Hopkins house.” (pg. 6)
“At times Peter would ride a horse and buy animals from farmers nearby. He also had a large wagon with a winch in the front under the seat. This would aid in bringing animals such as the bulls, needed for making sausage and on occasions a heifer to be killed at the slaughterhouse. He also had a wagon, which enabled him in bringing the sausage and dressed carcasses to the retail market…much of this was done on foot up the railroad tracks. The retail meat shop was the only place in town to have a walk-in icebox. Later, the slaughterhouse built a refrigerated room.” (pg. 6)
“In 1914 Peter and Barbara decided to improve the slaughterhouse. They purchased a track of land from a Mr. Lefler, which” was the location pictured below. “In about 1912 the uptown butcher shop compound was built by Peter and Barbara. It consisted of a new butcher shop, and a small room” they rented out. (pg. 6) “The butcher shop was in operation for ten years longer, and then the buildings were sold to other business.” (pg. 7)
**Information quoted and summarized from “Gimme Emge: A History of the Family and the Meat Packing Company” by Jeff Crone, 2003. You can read this book at Fort Branch Public Library as part of our Indiana History section.
(Photo below taken from page 37 of the book mentioned above.)
