#70 Mr. Simon the Market Man

Soulard Market in St. Louis, Missouri
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​When I first shopped this iconic market with my mom in the 1970's, I was intimidated by the serious produce vendors.  

But on a quiet weekday last fall, there were few stalls open and Mr. Simon wasn't a bit rushed.  He was full of smiles and stories... while he pushed his produce!

​The Historic Market
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​This Renaissance style building went up in 1921, but there have been farmers selling their produce, dairy and livestock on this land since it was just a meadow, in 1779. In the 1970's, there were no Yuppies or tourists shopping here.

The "Grand Hall" was bustling with local shoppers.  The smells of nearby Anheuser-Busch brewery seemed to follow you right inside, where the aromas from the spice shop and the bakery mingled with the less cozy smells of the meat market and fish shop. 

The Market Wings
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We only found a few vendors in the 4 wings that quiet morning.  

There were no chickens in crates or grumpy farmers telling you not to touch.  Mr. Simon seemed pretty pleased to see us when we wandered down his way!

He teased us into buying some veggies we had no use for on our road trip. "You need to buy some sugar cane!" he insisted when he heard we were from Sugar Land, Texas.  We did. 

But he wasn't lauging when he pointed out the faded photo, high on the brick wall. It was a reunion photo and you knew family meant a lot to him.  His buddy Joe wasn't family, but you could tell he treated Mr. Simon like a dad as he lifted crates and hauled boxes and made it clear that Mr. S shouldn't be lifting.  

​Thanks, Mr. S!
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​It was fun to chat with you and imagine you as a very young man, lifting boxes of vegetables and displaying fruit arrangements. Your  boss probably didn't allow you the freedom to chit chat with the customers.

 

You were a pleasant contrast to the grouchy farmers and vendors I remember from years ago!