The organizational structure of the market eventually included 212 stalls and over 400 vendors who offered pricing by negotiation.
The market was located on the west bank of the Willamette River, near the site of the old Morrison Bridge, where vendors from farming communities outside of Portland could easily commute.
Customers dealt directly with farmers on the street and eliminated value added charges from middle men.
[5] Pedestrian and automobile traffic congestion along SW Yamhill Street continued to increase, turning the busy market into a target for urban planners in the 1920s.
Planners wanted to move the market away from the sidewalks on Yamhill Street to a single building where inventory could be handled more efficiently and customers could be managed.