About Western's: History

Western's Smokehouse, located in the rolling hills of North Missouri, was founded in 1978 by Sam Western. Sam's heritage in the meat business goes back to the turn of the century when his grandfather, James Everett Western, operated a butcher shop and meat service in the coal mining town of Connelsville, Missouri around 1900. Sam's father, Glen Western, helped his father butcher and peddle hogs in the small community to support nine children through the depression and war years.

Sam grew up on a farm only two miles from where Western's Smokehouse is located. As a youngster, Sam helped his father, along with three brothers, butcher beef and hogs, supplying the family with old-fashioned fresh meat. At the age of 22, Sam became the youngest retail meat manager in a large mid-west supermarket chain.

In 1974 he realized that he wanted to open his own market. After much planning and time, Western's Smokehouse opened in the fall of 1978, supplying the area with the finest selection of hickory smoked and fresh meat possible. Carrying on the family tradition, Sam's son, Kevin joined his father in the business in 1992.

Sam and Kevin would like to invite you to stop by their retail meat store, order fine quality award winning hickory smoked products from this web site, print out the Order Form to fax into us, or go to the Order Catalog page and we will be happy to send you a full color catalog. We would like to say Thank You to our old and new customers for letting us serve you since 1978.