Modern Day Findlay Market
- Hilary Smith
- Jan 6, 2021
- 2 min read
Before the days of Covid, this was the place to get the cheapest rates on fresh fruit and vegetables. Connect with street vendors and the community. This was the market I grew up with when my mother went shopping this is where she went shopping for our meats which are housed inside along with other goodies. Findlay market is the only place in Cincinnati you can find authentic queen city metts. These days they go for $7 a pound. In the summer, the streets would be filled with vendor stands, and side panels open and lined with farmers selling fruit and vegetables and other items like homemade preserve and homemade pickle.
The history of the market
Findlay Market1800s is one of the oldest surviving markets from the 19th century and the only one to surviving of the nine that were operating in the 1800’s. The market can trace its origin to a small shop founded by a general by the name of James Findlay. The shop was built in 1793 the store was so successful General James Findlay purchased land for expansion in 1833. The expansion would be a massive undertaking the large, wooded area was north of Cincinnati’s city line in 1833 it was unregulated and called The Northern Liberties. This is where all the brothels, gaming houses, and breweries operated. The map below gives you an idea of how large the properties were.
In actuality, it was much bigger the map only shows half of Findlay’s woods.
Before his death in 1835 Findlay and an associate drew up maps for the expansion of the market and the development of the land. In 1851 after the death of his wife Jane the estate of James and Jane Findlay was donated to the city of Cincinnati.
Below are photos of the summers between 1921 and 1970.
The expansion and development from Findlay’s woods into Findlay market happened between 1852 and 1855 within a then German community known as Over-the-Rhine or as we locals call it OTR.
For more information visit https://www.findlaymarket.org/history
Source information:
http://www.cincinnativiews.net/odds_&_ends_page_2.htm
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