The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-10-15


to abandon the famous place winch, III
its palmy days, was the largest nsn
market. not only on Manhattan 1slano
but in the United States. As early as
1927 the possibilities of Fulton mar
ket as a great fish headquarters were
so well recognized that the wholesale
fish market, now in existence, was es-
tablished in the slip opposite the pres
ent market building. In late years
most Of the market has been confined
TO the large wholesale fish dealers,
and there is no intention OF doing
away with this supplementary, but
very important fish market.
Over two years ago the city officials
discovered that Fulton market was
costing the city more than it brought
in. The health department condemned
it as insanitary, and in January, 1917,
Borough President McAneny and Con-
troller Prendergast recommended that
the building be abandoned and the
property turned over to the sinking
fund commission. Considerable oppo-
sition was aroused from some of the
old stall keepers, and no definite &C
ton was taken.
Meanwhile the old building has been
getting worse. 1t was never properly
repaired after the fire which de-
stroyed most of the roof about three
years ago, and in wet weather many
of the stallkeepers found it necessary
to use umbrellas to keep the rain from
them and their meats, vegetables and
cheeses. 1t would have been neces-
sary to rebuild the market to put it in
proper condition, and the city did not
feel that the business warranted the
expense.
Building Almost in Ruins.
The Fulton street side Of the mar
ket today looks like venerable ruin.
Sections of the roof are entirely gone,
the windows in the upper story are
broken, the iron railing slants danger
ously over the sidewalk. The big
doors are nailed up, and as one views
the red brick pile from the opposite
side Of the street, the appearance is
dreary and miserable in the extreme.
In its present condition the market is
a real detriment to the business activ-
ity of the neighborhood.
The northerly, or Beekman street,
side is the only portion Of the mar
ket that still remains in use, with the
exception of few small fish stalls on
South street, near the Beekman street
section. Most of the occupants are
wholesale fish dealers, and they will
probably move out in short time.
No action as to the disposition Of
the property has yet been made, but
If the suggestion of Controller Prem
dergast two years ago is adopted it
will be sold, when a good opportunity
offers to one or more buyers for COM
mercial improvement Although ex-
empt from taxation, the market fig
ures at a valuation of $780, 900 for the
land, on the assessment books. 1t
covers a whole block, fronting over
200 feet on Front and South streets
and about one hundred and seventy on
both Fulton and Beekman streets.
Hurt by Shifting of Travel.
The opening of the Brooklyn bridge
was one of the contributory causes Of
the decline of Fulton market It's
proximity to Fulton ferry made it for
years one of the greatest retail mar
kets in the city, but when the resi-
dents of Brooklyn used the bridge to
the exclusion of the ferry, trade fell
off rapidly. Then, little later, the
ferry itself was abandoned, and that
practically cut away the last prop for
retail business, and were it not for a
few large wholesale fish and meat
dealers who supplied the uptown ho-
tells, the market would have been near
ly empty years ago.
Fulton market is one Of the oldest
in New York city. 1t was the logical
outgrowth of the ancient Fly market,
which stood from early Dutch times
above Pearl street at the intersection
of Maiden Lane and Liberty street
AS early as 1915 the city corporation
decided to move the Fly market north
ward to the Fulton ferry, and in 1917
an act of the legislature authorized
the city to buy the block now occupied
by the market. Nothing was done IN
til 1921, when fire destroyed the col
lection of cheap wooden shanties on
the plot, and steps were then taken
to erect the market. A frame build
ing but partly covered was erected,
and it was formally opened on Janu-
airy u, over ninety-two years ago.
The opening was not entirely peace
full, as it resulted In what amounted to
a strike Of the butchers against the
city officials. The market committee
advertised the stalls for sale by auc-
ton, but stipulated that none could be
bought for less than one hundred dol
lars. The butchers of the old Fly
market had a strong organization in
those days, and they presented a Pc
tition to the common council, stating
that 500 was more than many butch
ers could pay, and that "the method
adopted by the corporation Of fixing
a yearly rent on the stands and at the
same time In selling them by auction
is novel, without precedent and preju-
dicial."
Riot Caused by Butchers.
No attention was paid to this re-
monstrance, and on December Is,