In the heart of Pueblo, Colorado, stands a remarkable structure: a 250,000-square-foot industrial landmark once known as the Nuckolls Packing Company. Founded in 1890 by Emmet Nuckolls after a successful run in Leadville, the company transformed over three generations into one of America’s most advanced and respected meatpacking enterprises.
This book chronicles that extraordinary journey. From modest beginnings at the Union Stockyards to the construction of the world's most modern meat processing facility, the story of the Nuckolls family is one of innovation, ambition, and resilience. Readers will meet GH Nuckolls, the founder’s son, whose collaboration with Norwegian engineer Hans Peter Henschien helped revolutionize the meat industry. Influenced by the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, they built a gravity-driven, multistory plant that prioritized hygiene, worker safety, and operational efficiency.
But this is more than the story of a business. It is a story of leadership through adversity. The Great Pueblo Flood of 1921, the Great Depression, and the shutdown during World War II all tested the company’s endurance. After GH Nuckolls' passing, the leadership baton was taken up by his daughters, Della and Marion Nuckolls. Though few women held top positions in American industry at the time, these sisters brought determination and vision to the company. Marion became president. Della, who studied under the Denishawn School in Los Angeles and performed on Broadway, balanced an artistic life with her role as vice president and treasurer.
The book also shares Della’s remarkable life on stage, her multiple marriages, and her steadfast connection to Pueblo. Through newly discovered letters, rare photographs, and original documents, the narrative offers a deeply human look at how one family helped shape an entire industry.
In the years that followed, the company was sold to American Stores and later supplied meat across the Southwest. Operations ceased in 1980, but the story was far from over. In the early 2000s, entrepreneur Ryan McWilliams purchased the dormant facility and launched Watertower Place, a creative center for commerce, culture, and community.
This book is a tribute to the people, places, and power of legacy. It reminds us that the past is never lost. It is waiting to be remembered, reimagined, and shared.
To learn more, visit:
www.gregoryhowell.com
www.pueblowatertowerplace.com
