Washington State History, Pikes Place Market

Pikes Place Market

by Baron Molo for Washington State History Project Requirement

NOTE::::::This is a work in progress until it is final.

Seattle was booming in the late 1800's and early 1900's with the Gold Rush and many immigrants moving in.  Gold rushers, loggers, fishermen, shipbuilders, farmers and merchants, Japanese and Italian immigrants came to the city.  Pikes Place Market opened August 17, 1907 with just few farmers selling their produce.  Today it is one of the most famous markets in the United States and many tourists visit Pikes Place Market year round.  It is the oldest famers market still in business in the nation.

Pikes Market became one of the best places to shop for food during the Great Depression because they had the least expensive food around.  So in that time of the 1920's and 1930's it grew because lots of people where able to sell things to make money. However, in 1942 the market lost more than half of its farmers who were Japanese, because they were put into immigrant camps during World War II.

Pikes place market used to be the cheapest place to shop for the locals but in 1907 many of the people that sold at the market bought from farmers that sold them the product for very cheap prices and then the sellers shot the prices up and profited more than double what they got it for. They are called wholesalers and were doing what is called price gauging. Price gauging is a way people made extra money and ruined the market. For example, the price of onions went from $.10 to $1.00 a pound!  But the people of the city did not like that so they changed the rules and made the farmers sell direct to the people.

Even now Pikes can be one the most expensive places to shop but despite the higher prices on some things, the merchants do sell the most wonderful fresh produce, fish and flowers. It is known to be one of the most popular tourist spots with over 10 million visitors a year and most of them tourists.  They come because it is historical and fun.

Pikes Market is not just a place to go buy food, it is a place to go have a good time!  Lots of the merchants like to entertain the people and drawing attention to their shop or stand makes them more successful. Such as the fish markets, they interact with the public, they like to shout and throw fish and crabs across the room which can be pretty funny. Others like to hand out samples so that people can taste what they have and hopefully buy it.

1970 was put on the National Register of Historic Places.
1971 Starbucks opens its first coffee shop.

Map of Washington
Seattle is located in the north west corner of the state.  Seattle is located in the Puget Sound and is the capital of the state. Pikes Market sits in the heart of Seattle and has a rich and interesting history.