The 1915 opening of a new annex to City Hall brought Houston one of its first massive farmers markets.
Fine New $200,000 Annex Is Opened to the Public
This story ran on Feb. 3, 1915, announcing the expansion of Houston’s farmers market at City Hall. Since then, farmers markets dot the region. On any given Saturday morning along with other times during the week, Houstonians can choose from a variety of markets to buy locally grown produce, locally produced cheeses and a wide variety of other products.
With the opening of the new annex to the City Hall, Houston has a public market unsurpassed in the entire South. Large, airy and sanitary, it is as attractive a place for the buying and selling of foods as can be built.
A description of the new market is given in a letter written by City Architect Sullivan. His description follows: “The present market is 239 feet long by approximately 70 feet wide, and in it are sold meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, bakery products, poultry eggs, delicatessens, candies, cigars and there is even one notion counter. We have built an annex to this market 239 feet by 65 feet. The old market was so arranged that there was no regularity of aisles and no uniformity of stalls. Fruit vendors filled their rented space with their wares and then stood in the inadequate aisles harping their wares and in general interfering with the patrons of the market. We are now moving all fruit and vegetable men into the new market, where we have built stands for them, all of which are of a uniform size and, of course, are alike. Broad Aisles Left.
“Each man has approximately 12 by 9 feet, which includes an arrangement of counters and display space, together with storage shelves and leaves between each row of stands aisles of 12 feet in width. The keepers
of stands will be compelled in this market to keep behind their counters at all times. These stands are finished in white enamel and all shelving and flooring is raised six inches from the building floor, the latter being inclined to drain so that the whole market can be flooded out at any time without ruining any of the wares. In this market there will also be some few delicatessen stands, cigar stands and possibly confectionery or bakery stands and one large meat market. In the old building all fish men have been moved into one end, and this part of the market is double screened from all other parts and made as sanitary as possible.
“The space in this market formerly occupied by the fruit and vegetable men has been allotted to dealers in some other lines, such as poultry, eggs, confectionery, etc., and an aisle width of about 11 feet maintained. It is our intention to repaint and clean up the old market and, as far as possible, make it as sanitary as is the new market. All stands of whatever nature installed by renters of special spaces must be kept at least six inches from the floor, so that the same drainage effect may be had as on the vegetable and fruit stands.
“We have in building the new annex installed a system of conduits, running to each stall and connected to the metering panel in the basement, so that any man wishing to put in extra lights of his own or fans can have wire pulled through these conduits and have the meter installed in the basement, where it will be out of the way and not disfigure the market. In the same way we have furnished gas lines, water lines and sewer lines suspended from the basement ceiling with plugged openings at regular intervals, in order to afford any accommodation which a man wishes. All Fruit Is Washed.
“The city health department requires all fruit and vegetables displayed and sold in the market to be washed, and we have in the new market a wash room 20 feet square, with a large catch basin in the center and five water taps on the wall to take care of this work. In the basement we have public comfort stations for both white and colored and a large rest room, which will probably be furnished with a matron, for the white women coming from the country, etc., to take their children, or in which to tidy up themselves. The new market has entrances on three streets and is thoroughly screened with copper wire screen.”
The annex to the City Hall has been under course of construction for several months. Work on it has been rushed as much as possible because of the demands of the old market for an expansion. Trade has become so great in the old market that it could barely be accommodated.
Last Saturday the old market was open with produce of all kinds for the last time. With the completion of business Saturday night preparations immediately began for the removal of the fruit and vegetable men to the annex. All day Sunday the stall owners were busy removing their stocks from the old building to the clean, white stands in the new.
By Monday morning the removal was complete, and most of the empty stalls were torn out of the old section of the building. Workmen were still busy making away with the stalls which still remained. By Tuesday the work was completed. First Sales on Monday.
Business opened Monday with the fruit and vegetable men in the new building. In addition the new building contained one large and modern meat market. Probably there is not a meat market in the South which is more attractive than the one in the new section of the market.
The old building contained the other meat markets, the fish markets, the delicatessens, and notion stores, cigar stores and confectionary stores. The fish markets are screened off from the remainder of the stores. They are in one end of the building and so screened as to be wholly sanitary.
With all the stalls which formerly occupied this section of the market torn out the room is lighter and more attractive in every way. Broad aisles separate the stores. The whole building is kept clean, the floor being flooded every night so that no trash can accumulate under the stands. Every precaution is taken by the health department to keep the place sanitary and free from any possible unhealthful condition. Dr. C.C. Green, city health officer, personally makes frequent inspections of the market and recommends improvements that might be made. Flower Booth New Feature.
One feature of the new market that should be mentioned is the stand near the Milam street entrance which is devoted to flowers. An abundant stock of cut flowers is kept. The stand is supplied with a refrigerator where flowers can be kept fresh.
The City Market has entrances on three streets. On the Congress avenue side the sidewalk grade has been cut down so as to make the approach easier. Steps have been built into the market. The Milam street entrance is one of the handsomest entrances to a building in the city. Broad stairs lead into the market.
A feature of the market that has not been given much publicity is that the basement of the building is to be used by the farmers who raise the produce. These farmers formerly used the sidewalks to display their goods. The practice caused the sidewalks to be congested.
In the future the farmers will bring their produce and display it on tables in the basement of the annex. There is ample room in the basement for their use, and it is expected that this will prove more popular than the old custom of using the sidewalks.