Maybaum's Slaughterhouse

By Charles McGrath

Alex Maybaum was born in 1849. I believe he had four sons named Frank, Charles, Jacob and William. His name appears in the business directory as A. Maybaum & Sons in 1870,1880 (opposite Shooting Park which later became Vailsburg Park),1900 and 1905.

How many times have we seen western cattle drives on TV and in the movies. Now and then some of the drives would be through the center of town. Man and beast would have to get off the road to insure seeing tomorrow.

Maybaum Avenue may not be the Wild West, but it was the home of a slaughter house. Maybaum's Slaughterhouse! I remember reading about a cattle drive (circa 1880) up South Orange Avenue from Newark. They moved the cattle from the train yards in Newark to the Maybaum's Slaughter House. I'm not sure how many times this was done, but it must have been unbelievable. The sounds of the steers, men and children yelling plus dogs barking.

The attached is a section of the 1916 map of Newark taken from the Map section of this website. South Orange Avenue is the road in the middle of the map. Fairmount Cemetery is in the upper left hand corner. The next streets are South 18th,19th and 20th. Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is next and the Motor Drone (?) is shown below the cemetery and opposite Grove Street. Maybaum Avenue is right below the circular track of the Motor Drone. The two buildings with the gabled roofs could be the representation of the Maybaum's Slaughterhouse. Electric Park (Vailsburg Park) would be the circle on the lower right just below Speedway Avenue (horse races were run here).