One Hundred Years Ago - 1905

[Smiley]

The year is 1905.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!

Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905:

* The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

* Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

* Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

* A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars. (See average hourly wage below)

* 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 people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

* The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

* The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

* The average U.S. 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

* A mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year

* More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.

* Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

* Sugar cost four cents a pound.

* Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. About half the average hour's wage.

* 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 in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4. Heart disease

5. Stroke

* The American flag had 45 stars.

* Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

* The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!

* Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

* There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

* Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

* 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 pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." (I wonder if Coca-Cola still had cocaine in 1905 - Smiley)

* Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

* There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

[rS]

nice!

[{OF}Malicious Assault]

Hmmm makes ya think What will it be like in a 100 years

[funtowel]

Imagine what the next century is going to bring. Nanotechnology is begining to come into our lives and I predict it will dramatically affect the course of human history.

[Capt. Insane]

to answer your coke question smiley, i believe cocaine was still in coca-cola then. it wasn't for a while until they realized that it was harmful.

and i coulda sworn this was posted here once before (not that im complaining, mind you). maybe that was somewhere else. or maybe im just really going insane

[Eliasen]

Next person alive in 100 yrs post the updated version!

[LoPo]

* Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

This is still the case today!

[Capt. Insane]

that's not even that much for then lopo. only 20% (well, when you put it in those terms it sounds like more)

[Mega_Figment]

Amazing isn't it.

We've come so far in 100 years. And we even still have a ways to go imho

Ahhhh history. I find that the older I get - the more I am into these types of things

[{OF}Flying_Dutchman]

Kewl stuff.