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Thursday, August 6, 2020

Life in America in 1910

My second novel Never Done is set in Colorado from 1885-1919. Although I had my great-grandmother's handwritten autobiography to draw information from, I did tons of research to make sure I correctly described  the clothing, transportation, etc. that existed during those years.

Below is an email I received that lists a few facts about life in America in the year 1910. If I'd had this list a few years ago, I might have incorporated some of the information in  Never Done. (published April 2017)

In the Year of our Lord 1910

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.

There were only 8,000 cars traveling on 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
To buy gas for your automobile, if you owned one, you had to buy it at a drug store. 

Only 14 percent of American homes had a bathtub.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Only 8 percent of  homes had a telephone.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
1910 wages in a sawmill as a common laborer were $2 a day
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

The Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada was only 30!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,
regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

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