ohmidog!

If you’ve lived in Baltimore City, and especially in West Baltimore, you may have heard the jingle of harnesses and a familiar call from the street: “Watermelon! Strawberries! Fresh Peaches and Red Ripe Tomatoes!” It is the call of Baltimore’s fruit and vegetable peddlers, known here as “Arabbers.” (And that’s pronounced with a long “a.”) For more than a hundred years, these African-American entrepreneurs have brought the freshest produce into the streets of the city in colorful small carts drawn by sturdy horses.

A street Arabber cart

In the old days, when horses provided the major form of transport for both humans and their goods, there were small stables all over the city, and the Arabbers’ horses were housed with others. These stables were abolished one by one as the need for them vanished, until all the horses were housed in a single stable on Retreat Street. Two years ago, the city condemned that facility due to some pretty grave defects, and the horses found themselves without a home.

The horse community in Maryland responded in droves–everyone from private individuals to rescue groups to the Jockey Club–and the horses have been housed and cared for at tent stables located at the Bowie and Pimlico race tracks. Because the horses are draft animals, it would have been easy at that time to become suspicious, to think in terms of neglect or other bad practices. But it is pretty clear to even the most casual observer that the Arabbers are true horsemen and horsewomen who love and understand their animals and provide the best possible care for them. Many families have followed this trade for generations, their lives and well-being intertwined with those of their horses. Unfortunately, the distances between the temporary housing and the city meant that there were a lot fewer Arabbers plying their trade.

There have been a lot of dark times and confusion associated with all the moving around. There have been several false starts on building a new stable, and the city has pledged, withdrawn, and re-pledged its support. Only six teams–twenty horses and six drivers–now remain.

Thanks to a change of heart by the city and some creative thinking by one of our premier museums, the Arabbers and their horses are about to have a new base of operations, and it will be right in the heart of things. B&O Railroad Museum Director Courtney Wilson came forward to say that the museum has some 40 acres of land in Baltimore, much of it underutilized. A long-term lease has been signed, and construction is about to begin on a brand-new facility for the twenty remaining horses. They’ll be close to downtown, close to their traditional neighborhoods, and most importantly, they’ll remain a part of the culture of the city.

If you live in Baltimore and you hear that familiar call of “Watermelon! Strawberries…”, grab your wallet and head outside to purchase some fresh, delectable, and seasonal produce. You can buy an apple at the same time as a treat for the horse–neither he nor his human will mind a bit.