Sioux City landmark falling to wrecking ball

The destruction of a landmark at the Sioux City stockyards began Monday. It’ll take most of the rest of the year to tear down the “Hog Hotel.” Thestructure was built from 1917 to 1923 and was a key part of the stockyards. Community Development Director Roger Caudron says when thestructure was completed, it had a daily capacity of over 30,000 hogs. Upto four million animals per year would go through the stockyard at its peak.R-E Betz worked in the Sioux City stockyards during the 1940’s and 50’s. Hesays in those days, hogs and cattle from all over the region were brought totown.City Councilman Marty Dougherty says the stockyards boom of the first halfof the century helped make Sioux City what it is today.The demolition of the old structure by wrecking ball will last untilNovember. Next spring, they will dig up six feet of soil to get the areaready for future development.