I have been cleaning out my file cabinets, closets, and drawers. It is truly amazing the things one finds when he or she is in the mood to purge. As I was going about the task, I discovered a file of information and facts I had gathered while writing Reflection of Memories.
As my fans know, I LOVE HISTORY; as a result, I do a great deal of research in order to write my novels. In 2014, as I wrote my outline for Reflection of Memories, I also started the researching process, which made these historic facts over 100 years old at that time. No matter your age, reading this list will astonish you and give you a greater appreciation for the conveniences we have today.
As you read each sentence — let it register in your mind and reflect upon them.
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE U.S. STATISTICS IN THE YEAR 1904 . . .
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.)
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of rural roads were paved. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Approximately 95% of babies (in the U.S.) were born at home. With the development of anesthesia, the trend to give birth in the hospital began. By 1938, 50% were born at home. By 1955, only 1% of babies were born at home.
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.”
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour, and the average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
Sugar cost 4 cents a pound, eggs were 14 cents a dozen, coffee was 15 cents a pound. WOW!
Most women washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
- pneumonia/influenza, 2. tuberculosis, 3. diarrhea, 4. heart disease, 5, stroke
There were NO ANTIBIOTICS in the early 1900s (penicillin, the first true antibiotic, was not discovered until 1928 — by Alexander Fleming)
The American Flag had 45 stars on it.
Only 6 percent of all Americans graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic.
No birth control pill — that wasn’t invented until the 1950s.
Just weeks before 1904 began, The Wright Brothers succeeded in flying the first airplane.
Mar 2 1904 — Dr. Seuss was born – Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Ford Model C was introduced (it had a more powerful engine than the Model A) The cost of the car was $850 with an additional $100 charge to make it a 4-person vehicle instead of just a 2-seater.
Most homes did not have indoor plumbing or electricity nor any of the modern conveniences that uses electricity (that list is staggeringly long.) There was no Internet, cell phones, radio, television, or air conditioning — and no grand movie theaters in every town.
Reflect upon where we — as a nation — were in the early 1900s. The changes, the growth, the inventions. Think about what life was like without all of those inventions we take for granted. Holy Cow!
Now . . . think of our lives today. What three modern conveniences/inventions/discoveries — that were not available in the early 1900s — would you miss the most if they did not exist? Hard to pick, isn’t it?
Lastly — ponder for a moment — with all of the amazing changes in the last 100+ years — where will we be in another 100 years?
More blog posts by Tesa Jones – www.booksbytesajones.com/blog
