View looking east northeast along US Highway 20 just east of Preston Bottoms area west of Freeport IL

Hansen's Meat Processing was operated by Elmer Hansen for 38 years. He was a well-known Stephenson County Holstein breeder. Mr. Hansen started his career as a herdsman at the W.R. Rawleigh & Co. Ideal Farms, just east of the meat plant on U.S. Highway 20. In 1967, the company was sold to Stephenson Locker Service of Lena, Illinois.

A few years after buying the Hansen's business, Stephenson Locker ended operations there. In 1971, Dr. Michael Gardner of Shannon, Illinois set up the Stephenson Animal Hospital in this facility.