(Look Back with Bob Enoch - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Note: Last week, Lookback revealed Parkersburg had purchased property at what is now Fifth and Market streets on which to build a Market House. Today, we’ll read about what was involved in the opening of the Market House:

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In advance of the opening of the Market House, in the Aug. 28, 1867 edition of The Parkersburg Daily Times an Ordinance Establishing and Regulating a Public Market was published. The Ordinance contained 16 rather lengthy sections.

Section 1 reads: Be it ordained by the Mayor and Council of the city of Parkersburg, that a Public Market for the sale of provisions, country products, fish, and all other articles usually sold in markets, be, and the same is hereby established, to be held at the Market House in the said city, daily, Sundays excepted, commencing on the 14th day of September, 1867.

And the said market shall open at 5 o’clock a.m. during the months of March, April, September and October, and at 6 o’clock a.m. for the months of November, December, January and February, and for the months of May, June, July and August, at 4 o’clock a.m., and shall close at 10 o’clock a.m. on each day except Saturday, when it shall not be closed before 12 o’clock pm.

In addition to the Ordinance, fourteen rules were established to manage the daily operation of the Market House. These were published in the same paper as the Ordinance.

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Sale of stalls

The sale of the stalls in the Market House took place yesterday before noon. Thirteen butchers secured first rate inside stalls at $60 a piece; six remaining yet unsold. Of the outside twenty stalls, fourteen were sold at $30 a piece to gardeners; of which six are also yet for sale. As the price, for which the butchers secured their stalls, is quite a large reduction in the rent, which they paid heretofore, we may reasonably expect to get hereafter meat at somewhat reduced prices.

The twenty-seven stalls, which were sold yesterday, will secure an income of $1,200 for our city Treasury and the balance of the stalls, which, no doubt, will soon find purchasers too, will secure another income of $540.00 to which we may safely add about $1,000 more from transient produce dealers, swelling the aggregate revenue from this source to about $3,000.

As the lot and building cost $1,600, the 6 per cent interests [city bonds] of which amount to $960; Clerks Salary $500. There will still be left a clear revenue of $1,540.

We make this statement in order that the old opponents of a Market House might draw in their horns, and feel convinced that they have been, as usual, mistaken in their ill-foreboding prophecies.

The Parkersburg Daily Times

Aug. 29, 1867

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Market House Grocery, Sept. 21.

The Market today was decidedly the best of the season. The splendid shower of rain last evening, effectually laid the dust and made traveling by wagon and afoot pleasant, consequently there were more wagons, more garden stuff, more sellers and more buyers than on any day during the week.

The general countenance of Uncle John Mather [Clerk of the Market], was very bright, and [he] has no doubt made a good report to the Council which met last evening and made some modifications in the Market Ordinance.

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Market House Grocery, Nov. 13.

The Market is slowly settling down to a weekly affair, except Saturday. The operation is a burlesque on a city market. The various meat shop licenses will not expire till May 1st, 1868, and until that time, from the nature of the case, citizens will generally find it more convenient to supply themselves with produce at the meat stores. For the credit of the city it would be better to have market but twice or thrice a week, during the winter at least.

The Parkersburg Daily Times

Nov. 14, 1867

To be continued …

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.