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At Soulard Farmers Market, you will find a
variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with meat, poultry and fish at the
stands. The wonderful scent of spices will hit you when you stop in the
spice shop. You can even pick up fresh cut flowers or live flowers for
your sweet-heart. You can also buy the latest St. Louis sports team
shirts, hats, sunglasses and other memorabilia for you favorite St. Louis
Cardinals baseball or St. Louis Rams football fan.
There is even a small pet store where
you can purchase pet food or animals such as kittens, puppies, bunny
rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, fish, and a variety of birds. |
The Soulard Farmers Market is the last surviving public market in St. Louis, Soulard
Market is named for Julia Cerre Soulard, who donated the land
specifically for use as a marketplace in 1838. The first structure was
built on the site in 1843 by a private joint venture of farmers/vendors,
who sold shares to build a one-story red brick building on the eastern
of the two half blocks. During the Civil War years the local military
commander declared martial law throughout the city. The grounds of
Soulard Farmer's Market were pressed into duty as a military encampment
of pro-Union guards, charged with enforcing martial law. Since then the
market has had a long and varied history, through tornado damage, urban
beautification during the "City Beautiful" movement of 1909-11, the
construction of a new building in 1928-29, the threat of demolition for
new development, decline into slum conditions, and comeback beginning in
the 1970s. Soulard Market has met the needs of its surrounding community for inexpensive foods for decades, the Market is a cultural treasure few city residents want to lose. |