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Friday, January 8, 2010

Fun Friday The Letter L: Living Life In 1909

This is pretty cool. I don't consider 100 hundred years to be an extremely long time, I mean my mom is 63, but check out this list of what living life in 1909 was like. It is amazing how much technology has changed all our lives, in just 100 years. In December 2008 we visited an old working farm, from the early 1900's, and my kids, and even myself were amazed at how different people lived back then. We have been studying colonial times for a couple of semesters now, so this is good stuff to share with DJ, and Caitlin. I mean just the car alone, makes me cold.


THE YEAR 1909

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :

************ ********* *********
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.


Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone...


There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles

Of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.


The tallest structure in the world was the
Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.


The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..


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.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

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. '

Sugar cost four cents a pound.


Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.


Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.


Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used

Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada
passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.

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'

( Shocking? DUH! )

Eighteen percent of households had at least
o
ne full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE !
U.S.A.!

4 comments:

Ebie said...

Hi Mel, thanks for this research, it is just so amazing how the changes, technology has transported us to the Millennium and the 21st Century. I hope to live longer though to see grandchildren!

Melissa said...

Me too, especially since I had my kids older than most people.

Anne said...

This was fascinating. I read the comment above that you had your children older than most. That must be why I like you so much. You must be close in age to me.

Melissa said...

No way Anne, it is my natural charm, that is why you like me LOL. I figured you were right around my age too. Which means we both for some reason thought waiting to have kids, until we were in our thirties, was a good idea. Have a great day.

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