Mrs. Julia Soulard gave the city of St. Louis a gift of land on the south side. The gift stipulated that it must be used as a public market. Soulard Market has been a landmark for over 170 years now.

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.

Photo courtesy Paul Sableman, Flickr