The Haymarket referred to an outdoor farmer's market in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

. The market occupied the block between Jefferson, Liberty, Floyd and Brook streets. A small section extended south down Floyd Street. It was established in 1891 on the site of the city's earliest rail station, belonging to the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad

Louisville and Frankfort Railroad

The Louisville and Frankfort Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. state of Kentucky, taking over part of the failed Lexington and Ohio Railroad. It was merged into the Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington Railroad in 1869....

. The site had been cleared after the station relocated to First Street in 1881.

Local truck farmers used the spot informally in the 1880s to sell goods directly to consumers. A municipal market house on Market Street closed in 1888, the last of such houses on the street. In 1891 some of the farmers formed a stock company to purchase the former rail station space permanently. Despite the name, the Haymarket did not actually sell hay

Hay

Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...

 in any meaningful quantities.

By the end of the 1890s, city regulations allowed huckster

Huckster

A huckster is a seller of small articles, who tricks others into buying cheap imitation products and then bargains them as if they were the real thing...

s of fruits, vegetables and other products to use three feet of sidewalk to sell their goods. Many of the purchasers were grocers who would arrive at daybreak to buy goods for resale in their neighborhood stores. Consumers who ventured to Haymarket directly were called "curb buyers". While buying directly at the Haymarket required much more haggling than in a grocery, better deals could be had. Many of the early vendors were Italian

Italian people

The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

 and Lebanese

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 immigrants.

In the 1920s open sheds were built as cover from the weather for sellers and buyers. The Haymarket started to decline in the 1940s with the rise of chain groceries. Many vendors left for a suburban, rail-connected market in 1962. A few vendors attempted to hang on at the original site, but a ramp to Interstate 65

Interstate 65

Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...

was built through the site and Haymarket closed after 71 years on September 1, 1962.