SEATTLE — Host of “Jeopardy!” and Washington native Ken Jennings set the record straight this week: there is no ‘s’ in Pike Place.
On an episode that aired Wednesday, a contestant was asked to solve the following:
“IF THE 1960S PLAN TO REPLACE THIS SEATTLE MARKET WITH HIGH-RISES HAD SUCCEEDED, THERE MIGHT BE NO STARBUCKS TODAY.”
Contestant Dan Moren, a writer and podcaster from Massachusetts, buzzed in.
“What is Pike’s Place Market?” he answered.
“No. Sorry, Dan, we are sticklers in Seattle. It’s Pike Place,” Jennings responded.
Close – but not close enough for us Washingtonians.
A Reddit user posted a clip of the interaction between the contestant and Jennings, who is from Edmonds:
The iconic Market sits above Elliott Bay off Pike Street (not Pikes Street) and First Avenue.
The street was named by Arthur Denny in 1869, after his friend John Pike. (Again – Pike, not Pikes.)
It was established in 1907 by Seattle City Councilman Thomas P. Revelle to allow farmers to sell directly to consumers.
It is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States.
The Market spans nine acres in the center of downtown Seattle.
Millions of people visit the Market each year to purchase locally made and locally sourced foods and goods.
The Public Market Center sign and clock were installed in 1937.
1.5 acres of Pike Place were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. A larger area was added to the historic district listing in 1972.
The first Starbucks opened in March of 1971.
To read more about the history of Pike Place Market, click here.
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