The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-20

the process OF tearing uOWu the puAdiA6s
to make room for the theatre to be built
on the site. The stone was placed there
on July %, 1851. Among the contents OF
the box sealed up in the cornerstone was
a small memorandum book which con-
tanned the History of the Formation of
the Central Presbyterian Church of New
ark, N. J." In this was found recorded
the fact that ION the thirty-frst day of
January, in the year of our Lord 1887. at
the building called the Museum, over the
old market, in Market street. sixty per-
o with letters from other Presbyterian
Churches. convened to unite as a church
corporate
II was in 1886 that the people of Newark
began to realize that the inadeouacy of
their market accommodations was a detri-
ment to the material progress of the
town, and the subject was agitated with
great earnestness. IT was contended.
that a town of its size and irnportance
ought to contain a public market that
would be a credit to the place. and that
the anchoring of the farmers wagons for
nearly half of each day along Broad
street at the lower end of the Military
Commons interfered with regular traffic,
and was a blemish on that part of the
town. This agitation bore fruit a little
later on in abating the nuisance COM
planned of. and in giving to the town a
public market, which, for a starter, and
and for the inconsiderable population
of those days, was quite an Improvement
on its predecessors in this line.
1t was a proud day for the infant city, 50
recently born by charter. when our local
prints announced the fac that Newark
at last a a market in some degree ON
mensurate with the needs of the young
municipality. Our veteran newspaper
announced the event in the following
glowing terms at the birth of the new
year, 1897. ssFor the first time in the his
tory of Newark we nave today a regular
public market. an era of some conse-
quence to a people who live by eating
Tho butchers nave taken their stands no
bly,. and the display of meats would do
credit to Fulton or even Washington
Market. May they never again be DOOM
ed TO beg from door to door," Thus was
cur original Centre Market heralded to
the world by the views of the people
through It's press. This little Centre Mar
ket, ON the north side of Commerce street.
just east of Broad. with its roped enclos-
ure n square for wagons. was the
father of our own present Centre Mar
ket. and with it's uncomfortable limita-
lions was forced to DO duty for nearly
a score of years.
There is, such a thing, too, as historic
market places. What Did New Yorker. or.
in fact. wha old Newarker. is there but
that knows the old sfvly Market of
New York, the immediate predecessor of
the row famous Fulton Market This
Dutch term Wy. for valley. was appro-
pirate for the locality then. but 1t was
afterward corrupted to ely" although
there is neither historical nor traditional
proof that the market a more than its
usual quota of flies. At the opening of
the present century the public markets of
New York City were four in number-the
Exchange Market, at the foot of Broad
street; the Oswego Market. in Broadway,
at the head of Maiden Lane; the old Fly
Market, which in 1922 gave place to the
present Fulton Market, and the Hudson,
or Bare, Market. now Washington Mar
ket, between Fulton and Vesey streets.
The curious appelation of the last named
of the old-timers, according to a writer,
is accounted for as follows: After the
great fire of 1776 had destroyed the great
err part of the house in that part of the
city, it was thought advisable to estab-
lish a market there for the accommodate
ton of the workmen who were building
up the burned district. But the market
house was finished long before the streets
about it were rebuilt and settled; as
there were few purchasers, the vendors
fell off. and thus in a very little time the
strange anomaly was presented of a fine
market house bare of provisions. The
present Washington Market house was
erected and opened in 1913.
The old Fly Market was a sort of land
mark. and it is mentioned in advertise
ments sometimes in our Oldest Newark
paper in various ways. It was as long
g as in 1855 that the first market house
in New York City was erected for the
sale of meat down at the Bowling Green.
Referring to the name of aVly," there
was a SHIFTS Wy or Valley. so called
from a blacksmith name Cornelius Clop-
per, who set up his forge on the corner
of Maiden Lane and Pearl street in the
old colony lines.
So much for the old historic market
places, those andmark and gathering
place for our predecessors. Although
Newark cannot boast of such old and
famous markets as Fulton and WASH
ington, of New York, we had In our
town. some sixty years since. other thar
the old Centre Market. There were two
public markets besides, though of minor
size and Importance. These were desig-
mated, respectively, the North and South
Ward Markets. In 1s5s-54 our present
Centre Market over the canal was built.
and in 1854 many Of the North and South
Ward butchers Cooked to his eligible
spot and awaited themselves of the privi-
leges Of a centre point. Among the vet
eran butchers who for a score or more of
years chung to this market. and to the
stands taken by them at the opening of
the market, and who, also, were the oc-
cupants Of the old Centre Market on Cona-
meree street, were Bathgate. Holden,
Lewis, Bird and McBeth. Several Of these
were well known as prosperous butchers
for almost half a century in Newark.
1t was in April, 1859, that the subject
OF a new market was taken up in earnest,
and a resolution was passed authorizing
a committee to advertise for estimates Of
the cost OF d suitable building TO be
over the Morris Canal. Some time
was III in arriving at an agree
ment With the canal company ana more
In getting the building under way and
and opened for business.
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