Monopoly Comes to the Walla Walla Meat Market
Local business owners consolidate competing markets into a single corporation to dominate the regional trade.
The story, cleaned up
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The Walla Walla Meat and Cold Storage Company was organized this morning, effectively merging all but three city meat markets into one large corporation. The deal encompasses the Kauffman market on First street, the old Pioneer market and the Washington market on Main street, and the McKinney market on Alder street. Chris Ennis and sons have retired from the retail and wholesale business as a result of the merger. The new corporation was organized by G. Kidwell, J. J. Kauffman, J. G. Stine, William Henry, and O. D. Gibson with a capital stock of $20,000. While the McKinney market was acquired, C. M. McKinney retains an interest and will continue the management of the Alder street market. The company intends to serve all of Southeastern Washington and Oregon, utilizing two large cold storage plants currently under construction. Manager William Henry stated the goal is to handle the business in a more economical manner and to replace existing slaughter yards with modern methods.
“It is not the intention of the company to make a raise in the retail price of meats, but we have formed the company for the purpose of better handling the business and in a more economical manner.”
Consolidation of local food supply chains into corporate hands is a recurring theme in Washington’s economic history. Today, while local meat packing has moved to massive regional facilities, the tension between small, independent purveyors and corporate efficiency remains a core friction in Walla Walla's local economy.
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