By Jay Gibb

The Soulard Farmer's Market is the last survivor of once numerous public markets in St. Louis. A combination of good location, grit, and city subsidies kept this market viable long after the others had ceased. But before discussing the particular history of Soulard Market, it would help to place the phenomenon of public marketing in the context of human history.

Origin of Public Markets

At one time in human history, each individual was responsible for hunting and gathering his own food. Later, early efforts at farming developed: purposely planting crops and raising animals in close by, accessible places, rather than foraging near and far. Later still, humans developed specialization in their food-raising tasks, and some areas were better suited for growing certain grains, or for raising certain animals, than other spots. This specialization created the necessity for the owners of various foodstuffs to barter for the foods they didn't have.

As towns developed, situated near key water and food sources, some people forsook raising their own food entirely, instead depending on trade for their daily bread. As towns grew larger, a spot was customarily set aside in the center of the settlement as the trading and bartering location for everyone. Over the generations, these trading spots grew more established and structures were even specifically built for the trading of goods. The Greeks and the Romans provided space in their town and city plans for market spaces, often in a central square. This pattern has persisted through the centuries in human societies until the very recent phenomenon of suburban-style planning.