Matanzas in Spanish means slaughterhouse, meat packing and hide processing. The words taken together have come to symbolize hard work and opportunity. In his book, The Jungle Upton, Sinclair, described in his fictional account the brutality of the meat packing industry and its impact on immigrants. The book, while published in 1906, did result in some minor reforms. The inescapable remained; it was some of the hardest work, and in some of the worst working conditions possible.

Later, through modernization, things improved but this kind work remained for the hardy.

The Westside of National City, California, from the turn of the century to the war years, was the economic and industrial center of the City of National City, California. It was laid out that way because the railroad and the agricultural interest had the vision to want to move their products. Further, the Navy, had made the San Diego Bay a vital part of their interests and National City, Westside had direct access.

The National City meat packing experience started, ironically in Bakersfield, California. The story goes that Mr. Hoskins, a cattle buyer for the Kern Land and Cattle Company, was not pleased with his son George’s behavior on their ranch in Bakersfield. He wanted his son to cut out his shenanigans and get serious about life.

Most of the ranch employees were immigrants from Mexico, who wound up in Bakersfield following the trail of jobs which were common in the depression era. The Hoskins family was especially fond of their foreman Maurilio Nava, who had escaped service in the Mexican Revolution to come north for a better life. Maurilio Nava’s compadre Jesus Gonzales Bonilla, a native of Jalisco, had joined him at the Hoskins ranch.

From 1937 to 1938, with his contacts in the cattle business, Mr Hoskins set up his son George, as the owner/operator of Hoskins Meat Packing at 2424 Cleveland Ave, National City, California. He could have never imagined that the site he chose and the adjacent areas would become the center of the meat packing industry in National City.

Eventually it would became the home of Wright Meat Packers, C.M. Meat Packers, National Meat Packers and Crockett Hides.
Maurilio Nava was made foreman of Hoskins Meat Packing and his first task was to recruit workers, and he started with his compadre Jesus Bonilla, who helped him find workers for the various jobs. These jobs included, hide dropper, splitter, gutter, romper, header and killing floor man. All this animal reconstruction was done with sharp knives, at a rapid pace.

The hiring of the workers had another effect. It began laying the foundation of Mexican families moving into the west side of National City, following the jobs and complimenting those families that had come earlier. Families like the Arcigas, Valderramas, Coronados, Aguileras, Acostas, Bonilla and Nava, which today are the fabric of Old Town National City history.

All have a connection to the matanzas.

Among the two largest families that had come to National City, prior to the matanzas and lived on the West side, were the families of Trinidad Juarez and Delfino Portillo. Both arrived in the 1920s. Delfino Portillo by way of Anthony, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas and Trinidad Juarez by way of Michoacan, Mexico. Both were extremely large families. The Portillo’s with 15 brothers and sisters and the Juarez’s with an equally impressive amount of siblings.

Two members of those families, Abel Portillo and Carlos “Beaver” Juarez, now in their 80’s saw, as children, the development of the matanzas and experienced the hard work as adults. Both spent many years in the meat packing industry.

Abel Portillo reflects, “My childhood was dotted with two National Cities. One with paved streets and sidewalks and nice schools. The other full of adventures at rain time, when the streets would flood and access from old town would be restricted.”

Prior to the construction of Kimball School in 1941, which his father Delfino and older brother Manuel Portillo worked on, kids from the Westside didn’t have a school. They went to a series of Green House Schools which were older homes under the control of the school district. One was located at 14th and McKinley which was for 2nd thru 6th grade and the upper grades were at another Green House School on Hoover Avenue.

Abel recalls working on the upstairs of the original Casa De Salud building, which used to be the city jail. The neighborhood kids were hired to help tear out the jail cells. He credits the Casa De Salud and sports for his work ethic and sense of teamwork which eventually led him to be union representative for the workers in the matanzas.

Carlos “Beaver “Juarez reflects, “I remember all the adventures with my brothers at the slough area which was a big part of the Westside. We would make forts and use them as hideouts and such and defend them if necessary. The flooding of the streets at rain time, were especially fun because we could make an adventure out of going anywhere.” He credits his family and especially his brothers for learning how to do what was necessary, to get by, learning at an early age a sense of independence, especially since there were so many in his family. He credited the Casa De Salud for helping shape his life with sports and other positive things.

Beaver Juarez and Abel Portillo have been friends and compadres since they were in the sixth grade. Both worked hard in the matanzas and look back fondly at what they have accomplished with their lives.

Beaver Juarez also holds the distinction of having graphically documented the history of Old Town National City (OTNC.)