TRENTON'S OLD DOWNTOWN MARKETS

Even as I was an avid follower of John Cleary, Harry Podmore, Bill Dwyer, Alma Lawson, and Hamilton's Joseph West to learn about our local history, so too was I an equally avid follower of Ms. Sally Lane (Graff.) Sally's knowledge of Trenton is on par with the aforementioned Trenton historians. Indeed, as can be seen in her "Then and Now" column in the above graphic, she delved deeply into the history of the Trenton Markets of a century or more ago. I am in the process of digitizing many of Sally's columns. She and her husband Sam Graff are among the more informed contemporaries of mine who are very knowledgeable on the magnificent history of the city of Trenton.

The Stockton Street Market

 

The Washington Market

City Market, No. Broad Street

The South Trenton "Farmers' Market"

1932: THE TRENTON FARMERS' MARKET

This rather rare photo of the old Trenton Farmers' Market on Lamberton Street gives a graphic look at the market and get a good idea of its size. For quite a few summers as a teenager, my best friend Don Slabicki and I worked at the Bertothy farm on Kuser and Leonard road, the present site of Trenton Catholic Academy. We picked corn by day, piled bag after bag with the earliest "early corn." We sold from the tailgate of Joe Bertothy's 36 Ford Station wagon. Always a bakers dozen of 13.

1840's abd 1869: THE FABLED GREENE STREET MARKET

 

It took quite a bit of Photoshopping to bring more detail into this old news photo. However, one can get a good idea of the Greene Street Market. 

 

Back in the day it was not unusual to see a butcher, whip in hand, driving a beef steer in the rural streets of Trenton on his way to the slaughter house. Chances are the meat from that steer would end up at the Greene Street Market. It was a veritable supermarket of the 1800's where food, farm fruits and vegetables, and countless other stalls offered their wares to local customers. The Department of Health would cringe today if they saw the way perishable meat was on display. Many stalls selling perishable products wrapped some in newspapers, and the rest were on display and at the mercy of the flies and other insects that were drawn to the tasty food. I would bet that more than one customer became seriously ill due to the unsanitary conditions at that old downtown market.

1869: REMOVING THE HISTORIC GREENE STREET MARKET

I have a fairly significant digital collection of columns relating to the various markets that once dotted the little town of Trenton. One of them has been written about many times by various writers over the years, including yours truly. The Greene Street Market was located at today's State and Broad Streets and was placed right in the middle of North Broad Street to around Academy Street. In the years markets were in style, farmers from miles around loaded their horse drawn wagons and headed into Trenton to sell fresh fruit, vegetables and other products in demand. There was always stalls set aside for butchers, bakers, and yes, probably even candle stick makers. 

1876 AND 1888: THE TRENTON "CITY MARKET"

One of my New Years resolutions includes posting more antiquarian history of our Mercer County area. There are many "hard copy" folders in the Hamilton Township Public Library. One of those folders is entitled "MARKETS." Including the historically famous market that once stretched along Greene Street, the Stockton Avenue market, the Washington Market, and the "City Market," shown in the graphic. It was located on the corner of Academy and North Broad Street, just down the street from the old Academy, the Joseph Wood school, and today's Trenton Free Public Library. The engraving on the left is from the 1875 Everts and Stewart Gazetteer.

1891: SOUTH BROAD STREET MARKET

This is a very beautiful photo but it can't match the clarity and focus on the R.C. Maxwell photos. You are looking down South Broad Street at the market area with their covered roofs to protect customers from the weather. Until someone corrects me, I believe this is the old Washington Market. The banner seen in the background is advertising Excelsior Cleaning and Dying at 126 South Broad Street.

1983: SALLY LANE RECALLS THE TRENTON DOWNTOWN MARKETS

Ms. Sally Lane has devoted countless hours to researching and publishing fascinating and little known stories of persons, places, and things in the early history of Trenton. Along with the writings of John Cleary, Harry Podmore, Franklin S. Mills, and other Trenton historians, I have accumulated numerous files on the many fascinating Trenton stories Sally brought to readers of both the Times and the Trentonian over the years. The above article from the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection is found in the digital "MARKETS-TRENTON" folder, preserved for posterity. There will be more of Sally's informative articles in future posts.

Note: The article above included a photo of the Washington Market. Unfortunately, the page was somewhat mutilated and I have removed it. If you use the "SEARCH BLOG" feature at the top left of the home page, type in Washington Market. click on the little magnifying glass, you will find an earlier photo which I posted some time back. The results of your search will appear under the home page graphic.

1926: TRENTON'S NEW WASHINGTON MARKET

From the "MARKETS-TRENTON" folder in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection: A bit of detective work was needed in order to find what I believe to be the location of the "new" public market that was established on a plot of land between E. Front and E. Lafayette Streets in downtown Trenton. I have added a map insert to pinpoint the plot of land on which the new market was located. Many of us in the senior citizen community find it difficult to locate the landmarks we remember prior to the downturn of the city after the riots of the 1960's. The map insert will assist in pinpointing the location.

1938: FIRE AT THE OLD WASHINGTON MARKET SITE

The city of Trenton had its share of destructive fires during the first half of the 20th century. I recall two particularly damaging fires during the mid 1940's; one a the Binder's establishment, and another at the New Jersey Floor Covering Plant, both in downtown Trenton. The fire in the photos above shows that stretch of property going "down hill" from State and Broad, on the western side of South Broad Street,

1869: REMOVING THE GREENE STREET MARKET

This is the ordinance advocating the removal of the market which was in the middle of Greene Street (today's North Broad Street).

TRENTON'S WASHINGTON MARKET(S)

There was a time when farmers, butchers, and other merchants set up shop in downtown Trenton and did a thriving business. Future posts will introduce the market on Stockton St. and others which were in operation in the 19th century. In the 1800's, it was not unusual to see a butcher driving a steer or other livestock through the town on the way to the markets. Farmers from the central Jersey and Pennsylvania area drove their wagons to Trenton to set up shop at the numerous markets.

1870: CHRISTMAS AT THE TRENTON MARKETS

There were busy markets in downtown Trenton back in the 1870's. One was laid out along the center of North Broad Street from State and Broad up to around Academy Street. There was another on South Stockton Street. I transcribed the following interesting news articles before the advent of the personal computer. The articles were copied verbatim from the newspaper and printed out on a "Brothers" electronic typewriter.
TRANSCRIPTION:

CHRISTMAS PRICES AT THE TRENTON MARKETS

DECEMBER 19, 1870

GAZETTE

On Saturday, there was a good display in our markets of poultry. Turkeys and chicken continue to command 25 cents a pound. We bought from a farmer the one half of a very fine sheep for eleven cents a pound, and by this mode of changing our base we expect to be able to buy a turkey without increasing our expenditures. Whether we pay 11 cents a pound or 25 cents a pound for 25 pounds, makes a difference of $2.25 for one week. John Jacob Astor could not finance better to save his Christmas dinner. After eating sheep meat for a whole week, the change to a good fat turkey will be quite agreeable.
There is only one other plan to secure a turkey without affecting our pockets, and that is to abstain from eating meat altogether. Folks are preparing all kinds of expedients, and this is one of them. No extra charge for advice

WASHINGTON MARKET READY TO OPEN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1870
GAZETTE

The Washington Market will be opened on Saturday next, on which occasion there will be a grand rush for Christmas turkeys, chickens, etc. The butchers who have rented stalls will on that occasion put their best foot foremost. There will therefore be a very fine display of beef, as well as everything else.

CIRCA 1870'S: THE GREENE STREET MARKET

THIS WAS THE ERA WHEN IT WAS A COMMON SIGHT TO SEE A FARMER DRIVING A COW THROUGH CENTER CITY TRENTON TO THE BUTCHER WHERE FRESH BEEF WOULD BE SOLD AT THE GREENE STREET MARKET. THIS VIEW IS FROM STATE AND BROAD STREET, LOOKING UP NORTH BROAD STREET FROM STATE. PART OF THE ORIGINAL CITY HALL CAN BE SEEN ON THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT. TRENTON HAD A NUMBER OF MARKETS DURING THIS ERA.

TRENTON CITY MARKETS

I HAVE NUMEROUS ARTICLES DEALING WITH THE OLD MARKETS WHICH ONCE DOTTED THE LANDSCAPE OF DOWNTOWN TRENTON. NORTH BROAD STREET, STOCKTON STREET, WARREN STREET, MARKET STREET.....ALL HAVE FASCINATING STORIES TO TELL. FARMERS WOULD COME FROM NEAR AND FAR IN THEIR FARM WAGONS, BRINGING THEIR VEGETABLES, LIVESTOCK, CHICKENS, GEESE, DUCKS, AND COUNTLESS OTHER FARM COMMODITIES TO THE CITY MARKET. IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE A STEER BEING DRIVEN TO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE, CUT UP AND BROUGHT TO ONE OF THE MANY MARKETS IN TRENTON.

1922: Trenton's Washington Market

There are quite a few articles on the profusion of markets which were once located in various locationS in Trenton. There will be other posts relating to Trenton's markets in the future.