Hi Art,
What type of cars did you remember seeing in Spenser, Cattle cars or Ice Reefers? John Morrell did have a huge kill and processing plant for both Beef and Pork in Souix Falls SD. It still exists but is now owned by Smithfield. That might account for cattle cars going there, but for processed meat coming back, hanging sides of beef and or whole hogs, those would be transported in the reefers.
And until 1971, there were still both live Cattle, Hogs and Sheep being sent to Chicago’s Union Stockyards too. So it wasn’t until after they closed down that one would see the now traditional 60 and 80 pound boxed beef and pork cases.
