The Hamilton Farmers' Market was originally founded in 1837 is located within a large multi-faceted complex in downtown Hamilton, Ontario called Lloyd D. Jackson Square on the corner of James Street & York Boulevard. It is an indoor market known well by locals for its variety of foods and products, produced both locally and from around the world. In 2007 a proposal of $5.1-million for renovation was made and a suitable location for the Market, during the renovations, to move to is being sought.[1]
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The Hamilton Farmers' Market is both a tradition and an institution in the city. In the early 19th century, the land changed hands many times. Finally, in 1832, Andrew "Yankee" Miller, a tavern owner and land speculator from Rochester, New York, bought most of the land north of King & James Streets, including the section that became Market Square. Miller also dabbed in politics, and was said to also be involved in the 1837 rebellion. That same year, part of his land was deeded to the Board of Police, the town's first local government.
The details of the land transfer are murky. The history of the Hamilton Farmers' Market, Michael Quigley's On the Market published by the Head of the Lake Historical Society in 1987 says, "The origins of the markeet lie in a tangled swamp of land speculation deals, political rivalries, sharp practices and legal chicanery among the principals, many of them revered founding fathers of Hamilton."