Once was a time (and that time was 1873) when you couldn’t throw a celluloid collar in Troy without hitting an oyster merchant. J.H. Goodsell, Lewis Thayer, H. Wait, Bailey & Hair and probably several more all offered large, sweet, fat solid meat oysters.
The laws of Troy governed where boats carrying fish, oysters, clams and fruit could land: Vanderhuyden’s wharf north of Division Street, the slip at the foot of Elbow Street, the wharf at the foot of Hutton Street, or the foot of Middleburgh Street. The dealers were required to clean up all shells and offal at least once a day, or face a five dollar fine. Setting up stands or tables was prohibited, and carts or barrows were limited to shellfish in certain wards in the summer; presumably the fresh fish smell was too offensive in some neighborhoods.
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