As the wheels of American industries began to move, so moved the meatpacking business in Chicago 1900 – and the conditions were unsanitary, unregulated, and clearly unsafe. Add into the equation long hours, low wages, and child workers, what emerges is a social nightmare.

By 1900 three of the thirty largest factories in the United States were meatpacking plants in Chicago; Armour employed 6,000 to 8,000, Swift engaged 4,000 to 6,000, and Morris employed 3,000 to 4,000.

While a few men knew how to pickle just about any vegetable for the voyages led by Christopher Columbus in the 1400s, they also made pickled meats. These were not only infused with a curated set of spices but also remained free of potential bacterial growth.

Historically, the process of pickling was a necessity and an invaluable way to preserve foods for sailors and travelers. It provided families with food through the colder months. Archeologists and anthropologists believe that the ancient Mesopotamians pickled.

Pickles have been around for thousands of years, dating back as early as 2030 B.C.E. when cucumbers began spreading their way across Mesopotamia. The cucumbers had to be soaked in an acidic brine to preserve them for transport and the pickle was born.