1914-12-24eee

“While it contained everything needed for the Christmas table, the central market was in the nature of a disappointment this morning.”

Hamilton Spectator.   December 24, 1914

The Market Square was the place where city shoppers interacted with farmers bringing produce in from the townships surrounding Hamilton.

Traditionally, Christmas Eve was the busiest day of the year at the Hamilton Market but such was not quite the case on December 24, 1914:

“Snow drifts, which made the roads impassable in the outlying districts, kept many farmers away, and the varied and extraordinary activity of other years was missing.”

Hamilton Spectator.    December 24, 1914.

The Hamilton Market was in business, usually Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays except when special holidays interrupted the schedule. Most market days, the local newspapers assigned a reporter to head to the square in learn what the latest prices were learn what the latest prices for foodstuffs were, and report on what was or was not available for purchase.

The Spectator reporter who got the assignment on Christmas Eve morning, 1914, started his report by noting the increase in prices for poultry that day:

“Poultry, which has been comparatively cheap hitherto, took a sudden upward jump this morning, and perched alongside such upheard of luxuries as new laid eggs.

“It must not be supposed, however, that the birds were scarce, for they weren’t – just dear. There were plenty of turkeys, great big fellows, fat and plump and just the kind to inspire hopeful anticipation in the heart of a small boy.

“But they were at least five cents a pound dearer than they were a week ago. Dealers asked from 25 to 30 cents a pound for them.

“Geese sold from 14 to 16 cents a pound, and chicken from 15 to 18 cents a pound.

“Everybody, of course – or  nearly everybody – eventually carried home a bird of some kind – perhaps two

“One small boy staggered along after his mother with his arms tightly clasped around a turkey big enough to eat him on the spot had it been alive. Another struggled with a market basket, which he continued to fall over at intervals, upsetting the contents each time.”¹

¹ “Market Today Had the Glamor of Yuletide : Christmas Beef and Turkeys in Abundance”

Hamilton Spectator.     December 24, 1914

On the Market Square most goods were displayed and sold from farmers’ wagons in the open air, but there was one building, that was mostly for the use of butchers, the market hall:

“There was a brave display of Christmas beef. In the market hall, prize cattle from the Toronto cattle show had been dressed and the big carcasses suspended from rafters in the building. One prize steer weighed a mere matter of 1,530 pounds.

“Here, also, in addition to the usual and ordinary meats, wild ducks, deer and rabbits were also offered for sale.”¹

In 1914, most Hamiltonians did not put up Christmas trees until the day before December 25, and the Hamilton Market where a large number of trees were available:

“On the north side of the market were the great piles of fragrant Christmas trees, which are shortly to delight young Hamilton. There were baby trees and eight-foot trees and whopping big trees, intended for large parties or the department stores.

“The trees sold all the way from 25 cents to $2 each, depending on the size.”¹

Besides the trees and meat, there were many other items available on the Hamilton Market which would help make Christmas more pleasant in homes across Hamilton:

“Holly and mistletoe were also offered for sale, adding to the Yuletide glamor.

“All the trimmings necessary to go with the turkey dinner were there in great quantities; pumpkins for the pies, costing ten or fifteen cents apiece; cranberries for the sauce, celery and so on down the line from the homely ‘spud’ to walnuts.”¹