George J. Burkhard
From "History of Idaho, The Gem of the Mountains," Vol. III, pg. 454. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago, 1920.
George J. Burkhard, conducting business under the name of the Emmett Meat Company, has the oldest and largest meat market in Emmett, in fact his establishment would be a credit to a city many times the size of Emmett, being thoroughly modern in every particular. Mr. Burkhard took up his abode here in November, 1906, on his removal from Salem, Oregon. He was born in Germany, June 6, 1879, and in that country his parents still reside. He came alone to the United States when sixteen years of age, having already at that time learned much about the butchering business. In this country he worked as a journeyman butcher for several years, going from place to place, being employed at different periods in Cleveland, Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Butte, Spokane, Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
Finally in 1903 Mr. Burkhard established business in Salem, Oregon, as proprietor of a meat market and continued there until 1906, when he came to Emmett. In that year, associated with J. L. Steward, he purchased a meat market on Main street at his present location and under the firm name of Steward & Burkhard soon established the business upon a substantial basis and gradually increased and developed it. In 1916 Mr. Burkhard purchased the interest of Mr. Steward in the business and in their realty, also Mr. Steward's interest in the slaughter house and in fact in the equipment of every kind having to do with the business. He thus became sole owner and at that time changed the name of the firm to the Emmett Meat Company. Underneath their two-story building is a large basement with concrete floor. Mr. Burkhard's meat market has the exclusive use of this basement, in which is located a refrigerating machine, from which extend the frost-coated pipes to the cold storage room and plate glass showcases above on the main floor, thus maintaining a frigid temperature all the year round for the immense stock of fresh meats constantly carried. The display of meats and meat by-products in the salesroom would tempt the most fastidious. The business in this respect is on a par with the fancy markets of the large cities. The plant is provided with all kinds of fixtures and apparatus in this line and has various rooms devoted to different branches of the meat industry, such as the rendering of lard, the preparing of other by-products and the curing of smoked meats and sausages. This is no meat market of the ordinary kind but is in reality a fancy meat market and small-sized packing plant combined. The equipment includes a cold store room of five tons capacity, supplied with a York refrigerating machine which was installed in 1917 at a cost of several thousand dollars. All of the meats and all of the products of the Emmett Meat Company come from their own slaughter house. Mr. Burkhard buys hogs, cattle and sheep from the farmers of the neighborhood and in connection with the business does his slaughtering and prepares the meat for sale. He is actuated by a most progressive spirit in everything that he undertakes, and his energy has been productive of splendid results.
Mr. Burkhard was married in Emmett, August 17, 1918, to Miss Delilah Newby. of Emmett, and a native of Idaho. He is well known in fraternal circles as a Mason and Odd Fellow, having attained the thirty-second degree in Scottish Rite bodies and is also a Shriner of El Korah Temple. while in the Odd Fellows lodge he is a past noble grand and a past chief patriach of the encampment. He likewise belongs to the Emmett Commercial Club and is interested In all that has to do with the welfare and progress of the city, the extension of its trade relations and the development of its civic standards. His political support is given to the republican party and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church. His life has ever been actuated by high and honorable principles and by progressive methods, and he has made for himself a most enviable position in the business circles of his section of the state.
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