GENEALOGY
Tips & Tricks
100 Years Ago
(what a difference a century makes)
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some interesting U.S. statistics for the year 1902.
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was forty-seven (47) years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and Influenza; 2. Tuberculosis; 3. Diarrhea; 4. Heart disease; 5. Stroke.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home (important for genealogists to know).
Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. According on one pharmacist; "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."
The average wage in the U.S. was $0.22 per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500, a veterinarian $1,500 to $4,000 per year and a mechanical engineer about $5,000.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.00. (That is 50 hours labor at $0.22 per hour, the average wage earned!)
But..... Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic!
Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee cost fifteen cents a pound.
One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 MPH.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was sixty (60) people!!
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
Most women washed their hair only once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea had not been invented.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.!
Wonder what these stats may look like in 2102?
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