The National Western Stock Show

Ever since the National Western Stock Show was officially established in 1906, Globeville enjoyed the trickle-down economic bounty from the event. During its ten-day run, the Stock Show was a source of jobs and a boon to local taverns, restaurants, hotels and merchants. School children enjoyed a day away from the classroom to see farm animals, mutton busting, horse shows and numerous rodeos.

Ad from January 1927 issue of the Denver Catholic Register

In 1960, the nearby meatpacking industry was Globeville’s and the city’s largest employer. But the decade that followed saw mergers and acquisitions that resulted in a loss of jobs. Soon feedlot operators built out-of-town facilities to slaughter and process meat, shipping directly to stores and bypassing the packing plants. The change affected the “Big Four:” Swift shut down in April 1966 and Armour in 1968. Cudahy continued to operate until it was acquired by Bar-S in 1981, and Wilson limped along until closing in 1981. The stock pens were deserted and the Stock Show Complex began to deteriorate.

Empty stock pens in the 1980s.

Every January, the National Western Stock Show continued to generate excitement and revenue. But for the rest of the year, the run-down complex struggled to stay relevant, hosting tattoo conventions, model trains exhibits and bridal shows. Meanwhile, in 2011, the city of Aurora offered tax incentives to relocate the Stock Show as part of the Gaylord Hotel complex. Thankfully, in 2015, Denver voters approved 2C. 

                  John Zapien, member of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The measure extended a 1.75 percent tax on hotel rooms and rental cars in Denver, generating $622 million for the project. CSU pledged another $250 million to construct facilities for education, and the Stock Show donated 75 acres of land and $50 million in cash.

Longtime Globeville resident John Zapien once worked as a “lugger” for Wilson, lugging lamb off a hook and onto a truck. Zapien has also represented the community’s interests for decades. Now a member of the National Western Citizens Advisory Committee, he is the only community member who gets a vote on the authority’s board. He and other residents look forward to the jobs that construction and new facilities will bring and the CSU educational opportunities for children.

“Who would have thought we’d have a college campus right where the stockyard was? They’re not just dealing with animals, but information and water, which is terribly crucial. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for young people,” Zapien said. “I think one of the biggest bridges is the food on the table. Whether you live in Globeville or Elyria or Swansea or Burlington or Clifton or Palisade or Rifle, there are some real similarities that we can work on together in the future with our rural neighbors. They’re the same as we are, they just live out of town.”

Sadar's Saloon in Elyria

“The saloon was at 46th and Humboldt. It’s gone now. It’s a parking lot.” Joe Sadar remembered.

Matt Sadar arrived in Colorado before 1900 from a town in Slovenia called Novo Mesto. He opened a tavern and boarding house at 3rd Avenue and Powell Street in Elyria (now 46th and Humboldt Street.) Men who worked in the Grant and Globe Smelters could get a room, a lunch packed in a pail, an evening meal and laundry services. Newcomers from the old country, like Jennie Hocevar, cooked, and cleaned in the boarding house while learning English.

Joe Sadar reminisced, “We’d go down to Matt’s with a lard bucket. You could say, ‘I want 25¢ worth of beer,’ and they’d fill it. We’d pass the pail around and everyone would take a sip.

“Matt was so nice. He had the most beautiful hair. It was all gray, but very thick. He had this long bar. and tables you could play cards there and they had a little shelf where you could set your beer. He had pictures of the men working in the smelter. There were these pictures on the wall of a horse and wagon and some kegs of beer on the wagon.”After Prohibition was repealed in 1934, Joe Sadar recalled, “From out of nowhere, beer instantly appeared.”

In 1946, Jack and Frances Brinkerhoff purchased the business and renamed it the Shambles Inn. The bar and restaurant were well known for their beef chili, beef stew and pot roast sandwiches. In 1978, it was bought by the National Western and demolished for a parking lot.

Matt Sadar’s Saloon in 1903 in Elyria