Movable Markets: Food Wholesaling in the Twentieth-Century City

Update: 2025-09-04

Description

Explores the evolution of wholesale food markets in urban centers, primarily in the United States, during the 20th century. It details the historical challenges faced by cities in efficiently distributing perishable goods, including congestion, high costs, and unsanitary conditions, often exacerbated by the roles of "middlemen" in the trade. The text highlights the impact of market reforms and government intervention, particularly by the USDA's Bureau of Agricultural Economics, in advocating for and planning modern, consolidated terminal markets located outside city centers. These new facilities, exemplified by projects in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York's Hunts Point, integrated advanced transportation, cold storage, and architectural designs to streamline the food supply chain. The source also touches upon European precedents and the eventual global influence of the American model for food wholesaling and distribution in shaping modern food systems.

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