Chicago was a great game market of the West, with multitudes of many sorts of birds sold at the wholesale market throughout mid-1800s.
Early in the history of this place, prairie fowl were an item for the market, described as being "seen in great numbers on the prairies in the summer, and about the corn-fields in the winter," according to the book "Illinois in 1837." These birds were the "grouse of the New-York market," and easily taken in the winter, when "fat and excellent for the table.
Partridges were indicated as being taken with nets, also during the winter, "by hundreds in a day, and furnish no trifling item in the luxuries of the city market."
Starting in 1857, reports of commodity sales in the markets were reported. On December 25th, the Greater Prairie Chicken could be bought for $2.50 @ 2.75 per dozen, with quail being purchased for $1.50 per dozen, according to details in Emery's Journal of Agriculture.
In 1858, these two species were again noted in their association with the Chicago wholesale market. Quail and prairie chickens were sold in mid-January, but not again until August. From August through December, it cost 75 c to $2.00 per dozen for the chickens. In December, quail were offered a $1.25 per dozen.
The Prairie Farmer, issued regularly at Chicago, presented market reports at least starting in January 1860, according to the issues of this publication available online.
In the issue of January 12th, there was a summary for the "Chicago Produce Market" for the week ending January 7th. In regards to Game, the publication said: "A heavy business has been done in Prairie Chickens and Quail — shipping the same to Eastern markets and paying operators large profits. But the law now interferes. Game has not been allowed to be sold here since the 15h inst."
As to the 15th, it is not apparent as to whether this was in January, or December, the previous year.
By January 1860, the vivacious action for the market was certainly obvious. Once again, prairie chickens and quail were offered at the market. In April, the variety increased to include ducks, wild geese and wild pigeons. This is an example of the report:
"Game. — Wild Geese sell at 50c, and Ducks at 20c each; Pigeons 60 to 62c. per dozen."
Many more details were indicated on the pages of the Prairie Farmer during September to December. teal, plover mallard ducks, pigeons, snipe, and the seemingly usual prairie chickens were indicated upon the various pages of the weekly issued Prairie Farmer. Nearly forty records are known in association with the time which conveys chronicles for Chicago.
During latter November, carcasses of the canvas back duck would have brought $2.50 per dozen for each fowl killed somewhere. Earlier in the month, a dozen were being sold for $1.75 per dozen.
Reports continued through April, with only a couple of subsequent records in August of 1861. During the year, the taken Canada geese were being marketed for 60 to 75 cents each.
In January, the grouse of the prairie were sold at $2.00 per dozen in January, and when they appeared at the market in August, the price was also $2.00 @ 2.50 per dozen. A week later, the price had dropped 50 cents.
Mallard prices peaked, based upon available details at $3.00 per dozen in mid-April.
For the wild pigeons, they began to arrive at the market, shipped from Indiana and Ohio, in latter February, and being available for $1.00 per dozen. This price declined through March and into early April, from 60 to 75 c per dozen, to 60 c per dozen and then, 55 cents per dozen early in April.
Other wild bird game species available at the market during the months included brant, quail, smaller ducks, snipe, teal and wild turkey noted just once in early January.
The 1860s
By 1865, there was more than one source for details of produce sales at the Chicago Market.
The two primary publications were Wells' Commercial Express and Western Produce Reporter and the Chicago Daily Commercial Report and Market Review. By 1867, the primary source then was Chicago Commercial Express and Western Produce Reporter. Near the end of the decade, another valuable and preeminent source was the Chicago Daily Commercial Report and Market Review.
In November 1866, some of the birds available at the local market, continued a tradition of epicurean delight by shooting enthusiasts of the city, where the roasters were busy in the kitchen, preparing wild game for a special dinner:
"For eleven years the Tremont House in Chicago has furnished its boarders and guests an annual game dinner. That for 1866 came off last week, with the following bill of fare: 'Roast prairie chicken, roast black bear, roast wild turkey, roast saddle venison, roast mallard duck, roast canvas back duck, roast wild goose, roast red head duck, roast brandt, roast wood duck, roast sand hill crane, roast grey duck, roast partridge, roast teal duck, roast spike tails, broiled quail, broiled plover, broiled snipe, broiled blue-winged teal, broiled shovel-bill duck, broiled squirrel, broiled venison steak, broiled rabbits, broiled butter balls." — Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 21, 1866 issue.
There are more than 15 species of birds that were undoubtedly savory delights, along with requisite condiments and associated culinary pleasures presented during the feast.
During the decade, the sorts of birds sold, as reported, were: Northern Bobwhite (quail), Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse (partridges), Sharp-tailed Grouse (pheasants), Greater Prairie Chicken, Snow Goose (brants, and which may have included other species), Canada Goose (wild geese), Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Duck (small ducks), Teal, Northern Pintail (spike or split tail ducks), Canvasback, Redhead, Scaup, Plover, American Woodcock, Snipe, Sandpiper (sand snipe), Passenger Pigeon (wild pigeons, including squabs) and Meadowlark.
An especially appreciated aspect for this period, and which continued into the early 1870s, were individual details giving the number of each type of bird sold on a particular date at the market.
Primary sources for the 1870s and early 1880s were the Chicago Daily Commercial Report and Market Review and Chicago Daily Commercial Bulletin.
Although the primary feature of the market report was a list of items and price, there were other pertinent comments included on different dates. The following are some examples:
"Game —
"But little is doing in this market, the stock on hand being kept well out of sight and can hardly be had for the city trade at any price, as the regular dealers are only handling through stuff and in a jobbing way. The conference between Game Dealers and Sportsmen will probably result in a slight change in the wording of the present Game Law, by which all stuff received from outside this State can be handled and exposed for sale without interference. The Produce Exchange will recommend to the Legislature the following change, and we understand that the Game Clubs will consent to its adoption, feeling that the interests of both Dealers and Sportsmen will be benefited:
"'Any person may sell or have in his or their possession any wild buck, doe, or fawn, pinnated grouse, commonly called prairie chicken, ruffed grouse, commonly called partridge or quail, from the first day of January to the first day of March, and shall not be liable to any penalty under the law of the State of Illinois, entitled "An act to revise and consolidate the several laws relating to the protection of game and for the protection of deer, wild fowl and birds, and to repeal certain laws," provided that they prove that each deer, bird or game were killed within the period provided by said act or were killed outside the limits of the State.'" — February 5, 1875
A subsequent report a few days later, indicated how enforcement of the game laws was actively underway:
"The Gun Clubs are making quite an effort to enforce the law. Still, dealers insist that it does not imply on through stuff or on birds killed in other States, and a test case will probably be had to settle the matter. The Produce Exchange, through a committee, will petition the Legislature for a change from the present law on Game. A strong effort will be made to prevent the killing of the little Snow Birds, as if anything is entitled to protection it is these little birds that visit us in the winter." — February 10, 1875
The dialog associated with the Illinois game law, was still ongoing later in the summer:
"The workings of our present Game Law are decidedly against the best interests of the trade or for the preservation of the birds, as some choose to put it, as this allowing a free slaughter of the half grown birds, or when the weather is so hot that about all that are killed spoil before they can be placed on the market, is all wrong. Instead of accommodating a few sportsmen of the Gun Club, the law should be to the benefit of the trade generally, and should be changed to the 15th of September or 1st of October, and from the first of January to about the first of March as the other limit." — August 19, 1875
Occasionally the stock of certain sorts of game, brought about a decline in prices based upon demand, as indicated by this report associated with Passenger Pigeons:
"Pigeons are extremely slow, and the market completely demoralized, neither shippers or local buyers taking hold; feathered are offered this morning at 25 @ 35 c per doz. but are nearly unsalable even at that. A few dressed and Squabs have sold at 30 @ 35 c per doz. but the supply though light is in excess of the demand." — April 24, 1878
Other notes referred to weather conditions, mostly in regards to unfavorable conditions for shipment of the game from where it was taken to the local market. Warm temperatures were not welcomed, due to the resulting spoilage, which was an obvious hazard:
"Game —
"The warm weather for the past few days has been unfavorable, and a considerable portion of the receipts are coming in in bad order, and quite a number of birds have been confiscated by the health officers." — September 19, 1878
This another example of weather related troubles.
"Game —
"This market continues exceedingly dull; the receipts are liberal but the great bulk of them are coming in in bad order, and some are entirely worthless. There is hardly any inquiry, and while $3.00 per doz is generally asked for Prairie Chickens that are sound and fresh, they can rarely be sold at that, and rather than lose a sale, holders felt disposed to accept the best bids, as owing to the hot weather they are unable to keep them long, and we note some sales of good sound birds as low as $1.00 per doz. Those in any way off have to be sold correspondingly lower, ranging from $1.50 down to 50c, and many are thrown away. Ducks are in about the same condition as Prairie Chickens, and while the best are held at $1.50 @ 1.75 per doz for Mallards they can hardly be sold, and poor stock can hardly be disposed of at all." — August 23, 1880
Legal ramifications continued:
"Game —
"By common consent the handling of all contraband game was discontinued on the 1st inst., but it having been reported that this agreement was being violated by some commission dealers, the Sportsman's Association have put agents on the street who are carefully watching for any infraction of the law, and those, if there be such, who deal in contraband articles, are liable to arrest and much annoyance and inconvenience." — February 3, 1882
Another spoilage report:
"The arrivals are still mostly in bad order, there being scarcely anything on sale that is in sound condition, and as prices differ so widely and the condition varies so much it is nearly useless to give quotations. A large proportion of the receipts are so badly damaged as to be of any use and have to be thrown away." — April 7, 1882
A tally for the sorts of game birds provided at one time or another at the market during these year's included: Northern Bobwhite (quail), Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse (partridges), Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater Prairie Chicken, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Swan, Wood Duck, Mallard, Duck (regularly listed as small or common ducks), Blue-winged Teal, Teal, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Scaup (blue-bill), Bufflehead, American Golden Plover (golden plover), Plover, American Woodcock, Wilson's Snipe (Jack snipe), Snipe, Curlew, Upland Sandpiper (indicated only a few times as upland plover, but may have also been indicated by reports of grass plover), Yellowlegs, Sandpiper (sand snipe), Rock Dove (tame pigeons), and Passenger Pigeon (wild pigeons).
Considering more than 5500 particular records from 1857 to 1885, the particular species which could be readily identified include: Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater Prairie Chicken, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, American Golden Plover, American Woodcock, Wilson's Snipe, Upland Sandpiper, Rock Dove and Passenger Pigeon.
The majority of the reports evaluated, as available from online sources, are from the 1870s and 1880s. The cost to buy Passenger Pigeon squabs was reported. An obvious superior value of Canvasbacks was obvious.
This is a tally of the number of records for the period from 1860 to 1885, which were entered into a relational database for additional consideration and comparison.
| Market Item Bird Type | 1860 | 1861 | 1865 | 1866 | 1867 | 1869 | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1885 |
| Northern Bobwhite | 8 | 1 | 11 | 42 | 43 | 46 | 6 | 107 | 72 | 44 | 26 | 12 | 40 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 23 |
| Wild Turkey | 1 | 1 | - - | 1 | 11 | 4 | - - | 16 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Ruffed Grouse | - - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1 | - - | 8 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 31 | 20 | 21 | 30 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | - - | 1 | 15 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Greater Prairie Chicken | 11 | 3 | 31 | 76 | 71 | 78 | 8 | 146 | 107 | 77 | 45 | 20 | 52 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 46 | 35 | 33 | 37 | 27 |
| Snow Goose | - - | 4 | - - | 6 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | - - | 1 | 1 | - - | 6 | 3 | 7 | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 16 |
| Canada Goose | 2 | 5 | - - | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | 9 | - - | 6 | - - | 2 | - - | 2 | 16 |
| Goose | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Swan | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Wood Duck | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Mallard | 5 | 7 | 1 | 30 | 32 | 52 | 2 | 82 | 94 | 46 | 40 | 21 | 53 | 64 | 61 | 52 | 64 | 37 | 54 | 54 | 48 |
| Duck | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 24 | - - | 46 | 35 | 46 | 34 | 21 | 47 | 52 | 40 | 38 | 39 | 36 | 54 | 47 | 46 |
| Blue-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | - - | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Teal | 4 | 2 | - - | 6 | 2 | 4 | - - | 3 | - - | 1 | - - | - - | 17 | 26 | 33 | 21 | 35 | 35 | 37 | 44 | 40 |
| Northern Pintail | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Green-winged Teal | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 2 | - - | 1 | - - | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Canvasback | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 12 | - - | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| Redhead | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 6 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 4 | - - | 16 |
| Scaup | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Bufflehead | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| American Golden Plover | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 16 | 14 |
| Plover | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 5 | - - | 21 | 20 |
| American Woodcock | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | 12 | 1 | - - | 10 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 16 | 6 |
| Wilson's Snipe | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1 | - - | 8 | 1 | 14 | 30 | 16 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 35 | 38 |
| Snipe | 4 | 2 | - - | - - | 7 | 13 | - - | 13 | 15 | 18 | - - | 4 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 5 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Curlew | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| Upland Sandpiper | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 4 |
| Yellowlegs | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 3 | - - |
| Sandpiper | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | 1 | 3 | - - | 14 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 8 |
| Rock Dove | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | 6 | 1 | 4 | - - | 24 |
| Passenger Pigeon | 2 | 4 | - - | - - | 50 | 60 | - - | 54 | 35 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 14 | 23 | 2 | 29 | 5 | 4 |
| Meadowlark | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
Details from the numerous regular reports also provide costs for the "lots" of birds. This is an entirely different consideration, where the low and high price for an indicated number of birds was indicated, usually more than once a week. It conveys, for example, the market price for Passenger Pigeon squabs, or maybe the purchase price per dozen for live birds of this same species, as captured in the wilds, and brought to the city market.