Final answer:
The Union Stockyards demonstrate Gilded Age economies through advancements in transportation and refrigeration, corporate consolidation, and the reflection of prominent economic disparities of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Union Stockyards of Chicago are emblematic of the economic characteristics of the Gilded Age due to various reasons, which include:
Advancements in transportation and refrigeration which led to significant shifts in the meatpacking industry and the creation of large-scale centralized facilities that epitomize the economic transformations of the era.
The representation of corporate consolidation where companies like Armour and Swift grew to control a significant portion of the meat industry, a trend that was common among many industries during the Gilded Age.
The reflection of economic disparities and struggles that were prevalent during this period, where small businesses such as local butchers were supplanted by large corporations, mirroring the broader class struggles and the displacement of small-scale agriculture by large bonanza farms.