Baylor’s Melon Market Continues To Provide The Best Quality Watermelons To Chicago

Baylor’s Melon Market, located at 101st and Halsted, has been in existence for 6o years, provided the best quality watermelons to the community. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEREMY BAYLOR.
Baylor’s Melon Market, located at 101st and Halsted, has been in existence for 6o years, provided the best quality watermelons to the community. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEREMY BAYLOR.

Baylor’s Melon Market Continues To Provide The Best Quality Watermelons To Chicago

By Tia Carol Jones

In the summer months, you’ve probably seen the trucks filled to the brim with watermelons, parked on the street, or been to Baylor’s Melon Market on 101st and Halsted. But, do you know the history of Baylor’s Melon Market?

During the 1950s, Hezekiah Baylor and his sons were living in Hickory, Miss., farming and cultivating watermelons. They were taking those watermelons to other towns in Mississippi and even to Tennessee. Baylor started to acquire more land and one of his sons told him to start bringing watermelons up to the Midwest. Baylor started bringing watermelons to Gary, Ind., where one of his sons was living and working in the Steel Mills.

Eventually, other family members migrated to places like Chicago, working in construction and going back to Mississippi to help with the farming during the summer months. In 1968, Baylor’s Melon Market started in Gary and Milwaukee.

Jeremy Baylor is the third generation of the family running Baylor’s Melon Market. His father, Homer, and his uncle started Baylor’s Melon Market. In addition to the location on Halsted, there are also trucks where people can purchase watermelons. Nowadays, the watermelons come from all over the country, sourced based on the growing seasons. Every state has their own growing season.

“We may start in Florida in the early part of the season, now we’re getting them out of Georgia, in the second week of July, we’ll be bouncing between Arkansas and Mississippi,” Jeremy Baylor said. He added that watermelons can be grown and harvested as early as March and April.

Baylor said words can’t describe how it feels to be part of his family’s legacy when it comes to providing watermelons to customers. He has been part of the business all his life. During that time, family members have been part of it. His father is still somewhat involved in the business at 80 years old.

“It’s a special feeling to see a business such as ours survive as long as we have, with just one product,” he said.

Baylor’s Melon Market has stood the test of time because of its quality, which Jeremy Baylor said  is the best quality watermelons people can purchase. He said that is how the business has been able to survive for six decades, because they have strived to provide the best quality to the community. They try to keep fresh watermelons during the summer months as much as possible.

“This business has always been a family-oriented and operated business. Everybody who has come across and helped us along the way still today remains family, even if they’re not blood related, it’s always just been a family atmosphere. I’m just proud to be a part of it all,” Baylor said.

For more information about Baylor’s Melon Market, visit www.baylorsmelons.com.

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