Walla Walla Meat Company Plans Major Expansion
A new two-story packing house is coming to the Ennis farm to handle the city's growing demand for fresh meat.
Plans and specifications for a new two-story packing and slaughter house for the Walla Walla Meat Company have been prepared by Sinnock Brothers, architects of Seattle. Work on the plant, which will be located on the Ennis farm one mile north of Walla Walla, will be commenced as soon as supplies can be delivered on the ground. The old slaughter house east of the city will be removed immediately upon the completion of the new plant, as Mr. Ennis, president of the company, desires to market the tract of land on which the present plant is situated. In addition to the erection of the new plant, extensive improvements in the city market on Main street will be made, including a cold storage room. The plant proper will be approximately 120 by 80 feet, two stories in height and will be fitted with modern machinery and every convenience for carrying on the business at minimum cost. The sanitary conditions have been carefully looked after, the site chosen being at the junction of several fine springs, insuring an abundant supply of pure water, and at a reasonable distance from any part of the residence district of the city.
“The sanitary conditions have been carefully looked after, the site chosen being at the junction of several fine springs, insuring an abundant supply of pure water.”
This 1903 industrial expansion marks the era when Walla Walla began to transition from a frontier town to a specialized agricultural hub. Today, the tension between industrial slaughterhouse operations and proximity to 'residence districts' remains a central theme in debates over regional zoning and land use.
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