Prices and Wages by Decade: 1840-1849
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1840-1849
- Unskilled occupations - Average daily wages, 1840-1891Shows data without geographic breakouts. Source: Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 13 (1905), pp.361-365.
Wages by occupation, 1840-1849
- Blacksmith wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 275
- Boiler maker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 283
- Book and newspaper printing
This wage data is by establishment. Compositor wages appear on 329 and 332, as well as:- Apprentice wages on p. 334-335
- Compositor foreman wages on p. 339
- Laborer wages on p. 343
- Press feeder wages on p. 344
- Pressmen wages on p. 348
- Bricklayer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 154
- Cabinet maker wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 455.
- Carpenter wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, pp. 159-160.
- Coal miner wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 330.
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Lists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase. - Cooper wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 460.
- Cotton mill wages by state, 1845
Source: "Wages and prices in 1845," chapter in Does protection protect? (pub. 1871), pp. 299-300.
- Domestic servant (female) wages in New York, 1845 cited in a congressional report.
- Dressers, woolen and worsted goods wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 405
- Engineer (locomotive) wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 437.
- Engineer (stationary) wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 170
- Farm labor wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 225
- Farm laborers' and husbandmens' wages, 1845
- Wage data for 20 states on pp. 20-21. Further detail for each state for 1840-1865 on pp. 11-20.
- Farm families' earnings potential by state, 1847
- Prices for agricultural products demonstrate how much farm families could earn from sales, pp. 673-695.
- Firemen, stationary - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 175
- Furnace keeper, metal work - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 247
- Glass blower wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 233
- Government - Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Lists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase. - Government - Federal employees - Salaries, 1840s
Shows salaries of the U.S. President all the way down to postmasters in small towns. Source: The Official register of the United States. - Hod carrier wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 178
- Iron miner wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 333
- Iron molder wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 311
- Knitter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 396
- Laborer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 253
- Lathe hands wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 297
- Machinists - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 298
- Manufacturing industry wages, 1845
Wages in cotton mills on pp. 299-300; wool, iron and other manufacturing jobs on p. 301. Source: "Wages and prices in 1845," chapter in Does protection protect?, pub. 1871. - Manufacturing wages by establishment, 1840-1891
Shows monhtly wages at particular establishments in NE America to both male and female, but not averages.Source: Aldrich report Part 2, published by Congress in 1893.- Agricultural implement manufacturing (MA), pp. 293-311
- Ale, beer and porter trades (NY), pp. 312-329
- Book and newspaper publishers (CT, NY, MD), pp. 329-392
- Building trades (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI), pp. 393-481
- Railroad car and ship building (DE), pp. 482-508
- Wagon and carriage manufacture (NY), pp. 509-511
- City public works (MA, NY, PA), pp. 512-549
- Cotton goods manufacturing (MA), pp. 549-627
- Marble cutters - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 187
- Masons - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 189
- Millwrights - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 308
- Military - Navy pay, 1814-1893
Site good job of organizing a complex topic. If you need original government documents showing pay, contact us.
- Navy pay, 1814-1893
This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. - Painter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 195
- Patent examiner salary in Washington DC, 1848
- Pattern maker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 318
- Plasterer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 202
- Potter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 235
- Printing and publishing - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Compositors, p. 347
- Press feeders, p. 340
- Pressmen, p. 355
- Railroad worker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Brakemen, p. 430
- Conductors (freight), p. 435
- Conductors (passenger), p. 432
- Firemen (locomotive), p. 441
- Teamsters, p. 448
- Rollers, bar mills - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 241
- Roofers in New York - wages listed in Aldrich report, part 2, p. 462.
- Roughers, bar mills - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 244
- Sawyers - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 465
- Teacher salaries in selected cities, 1840-1891, Aldrich report part 4, pp. 1573-1581.
- Textile manufacturing wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Doffers, p. 363
- Drawers-in, p. 367
- Speeder tenders, p. 382
- Spinners, p. 386
- Weavers, p. 390
- Watchmen
- in Massachusetts, 1840-1891
- in New York 1844-1891
- Wheelwrights in New York. Source: Aldrich report, part 2, p. 511.
- Winders (silk goods) - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 402
- Woodworkers - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 469
Wages by state, 1840-1849
- Wages by occupation in states and counties, 1845Mainly covers states east of the Mississippi River. Source: 1845 Patent Commissioner annual report, appendix #34.
- Governors, state officials, legislators and judges' pay by state, 1830-1860Find salary information listed under state names in the tables of contents for this source, the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge.
WAGES in CALIFORNIA, 1840s
- San Francisco wages in 1849The Gold Rush brought about extreme wage inflation. "Laborers' wages were a dollar an hour; skilled mechanics received from $12 to $20 per day. The carpenters struck work because they were getting only $12 a day, and insisted on being paid $16." Source: Annals of San Francisco, published 1855, p. 253.
- Gold miner earnings - California, 1849Memoir indicates that miners could earn $8-16 per day, but that dinner at the principal hotel in San Francisco (Parker House) cost $8-12. Source: Hunting for gold; reminisences of personal experience... by Major William Downie (1893), p. 12.
WAGES in IOWA, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Iowa, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 67.
WAGES in KENTUCKY, 1840s
- Farm labor wages - Richmond, 1840-1860Shows wages of farm hands at various times of the year, including during and in between harvests. Also shows the price of various agriculture goods. Source: Kentucky Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics, p. 256.
WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1840s
- Wages by occupation - Massachusetts, 1840sSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
- Agricultural laborers 1752-1860
- Blacksmiths 1781-1860
- Bookbinders 1837-1860
- Brewery/distillery employees 1840-1860
- Carpenters 1772-1860
- Carriage makers 1831-1860
- Clockmakers 1815-1860
- Clothing makers 1803-1860
- Cordage makers 1825-1860
- Glass makers 1822-1855
- Gold/silver workers 1839-1857
- Harness makers 1815-1860
- Hat makers 1845-1860
- Laborers 1752-1860
- Machinists, 1837-1860
- Masons, 1774-1860
- Metal workers 1815-1860
- Millwrights 1799-1858
- Painters 1801-1860
- Paper mill operatives 1815-1857
- Printers 1815-1860
- Shoemakers 1754-1858
- Stone quarrymen/cutters 1836-1855
- Tanner/curriers, 1815-1860
- Teamsters 1836-1860
- Watchmen 1836-1860
- Wooden goods makers (coopers) 1809-1860
- Woollen mill operatives 1828-1860
WAGES in MAINE, 1840s
- Wages by occupation - Maine, 1840Page 7 of this report details the per diem wages of various occupations including surveyors, carpenters, and blacksmiths employed for a state project. Source: House Report no. 29, pg. 7
WAGES in MICHIGAN, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Michigan, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 65.
WAGES in MISSOURI, 1840s
- Bank job salaries in Missouri, 1844-1846Shows monthly pay to bank cashiers, tellers, clerks, bookkeepers, porters, watchmen and bank administrators. Source: Report of the Joint Committee appointed by the Governor to examine into the general state of the Bank of the State of Missouri and its branches, pp. 74-122.
- Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 67.
WAGES in NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1840s
- Labor wages - New Hampshire, 1840sAlso shows prices. Source: 1872 New Hampshire Bureau of Labor Statistics report, pp. 45-46.
- Clergy salary in New Hampshire, 1846This publication tells a Congregational reverend's salary for 1846 in Chester and for a minister in Candia from 1833-1841 and 1841-1854. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869), p 640.
WAGES in NEW JERSEY, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in New Jersey, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, pp. 60-62.
WAGES in NEW YORK, 1840s
See tabs above for additional states
- Domestic servant (female) wages in New York, 1845 cited in a congressional report.
- Farm labor wages in USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 60.
- Roofers' wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
- Painters wages listed here and here in Source: Aldrich report, part 2.
- Wheelwrights wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
- Blacksmiths' wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
WAGES in OHIO, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Ohio, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, pp. 63-65
- Farm wages by county - Ohio, 1847Shows farm labor wages in each county among other information. Source: Ohio State Board of Agriculture report, pp. 21-98.
WAGES in OREGON, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Oregon, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 69.
WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Pennsylvania, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 62.
- Carpenter wages in Pennsylvania, 1840sSource: Aldrich report, part 2.
- Farm wages - Philadelphia, 1845-1884The two page graph following page 112 shows the daily wages of farm labor in and around Philadelphia. Source: 8th AR of the State Board of Agriculture
WAGES in RHODE ISLAND, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Rhode Island, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States (pub. 1892), p. 59.
WAGES in VIRGINIA, 1840s
- Canal worker wages - Virginia, 1842Shows salary of agents, toll gatherers, lockkeepers, inspectors and more. Source: Virginia state legislative document #46, pub. 1843, p. 4.
WAGES in VERMONT, 1840s
- Farm labor in Vermont - Daily wages, 1830s-1860sTable 26 shows daily wages for laborers, with board. The complete chart shows wage data for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
- School teacher wages - Vermont, 1846-1850Source: Vermont school report, 1860, p. 102
WAGES in WISCONSIN, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Wisconsin, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 66.
Women's wages, 1840-1849
- Teacher wages by sex - Vermont, 1846-1850Source: Vermont school report, 1860, p. 102
- Textile factories - Women's wages, 1833-1850Federal report states that "the average wages of women in textile factories from 1833-1850 appear to have been $2 a week plus board, which varied from $1.25 to $1.50 a week." Source: Report on Condition of Woman and Child Wage-earners, p. 77
- Servant wages - New York, 1845Female domestic servants in New York were said to have been paid between $4 -$10 per month. Source: Report on the condition of woman and child wage-earners, vol. 9, p. 180.
- Domestic service and sewing - Women's wages, 1840Women could generally earn 50 cents to $1 per week offering domestic help. Source: Early Factory Labor in New England, part of a Massachusetts labor report, p. 387.
Wages by race, 1840-1849
- South Carolina
- Farm labor (Negro), $5 per month
- Labor (Negro), $8 - $10 per month; $100 per year
- Mechanics (Negro), $20 per month; $200 per year
- Louisiana
- Laborer (Colored), 50 cents per day
- Mississippi
- Labor (Colored), 50 cents per day
Foreign wages by country, 1840-1849
WAGES in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES
- Farm wages in multiple European countries, 1848American journalist John Aiken collected farm wage data for Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. About Ireland he wrote "Wages in Ireland are exceedingly low in every department of industry. In agriculture, any number of men can be employed at from nine to twelve pence sterling a day, and a woman at half that sum."
WAGES in AUSTRALIA
- 1842 wages by occupation and retail prices by region
- 1843 wages by occupation and retail prices by region
WAGES in CANADA
- 1843 wages by occupation and retail prices by province
- December 1843 wages by occupation
- 1844 retail prices by province
WAGES in IRELAND
- Factory and agricultural wages in Ireland, 1847American journalist John Aiken visited England, Ireland and Scotland in the Autumn of 1847 and reported wages being paid to factory workers in Belfast, Manchester, Leeds, Grenock and Glasgow, and compared these wages to those being paid in Massachusetts. Farm labor wages are also mentioned, as well as the cost for room and board and to rent farm land. See further background in the Notes section of the book. This is not a government source.
- Wages by county in Ireland, ca. 1846This book gives anecdotal evidence of wages in each county around 1845-1846. In other chapters, it tells typical amounts required for rent and the cost for articles of clothing. Source: Report on the Irish coercion bill, causes of discontent in Ireland, condition of its people...by T. M. Ray, printed in Dublin in 1846.
- Wages and cost of living in Ireland, 1770s-1890sThere is data on 1840s wages in Ireland in the book Wages in the United Kingdom in the Nineteenth Century published in Cambridge in 1900. This chapter on Ireland discusses not only wages, but discusses the difficulty of finding work, number of hours typically worked, the daily cost of food and ways that the Irish supplemented their income with family "potato patches," etc. This chapter extends from pages 45-53.
- Irish farm laborer wages, 1849-1869Also shows prices of bread, milk, whisky, blankets, coal and more. Source: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, v.33, pp. 153-157.
WAGES in FRANCE
- Wages in France, 1840sData and discussion are provided in the "Wages" entry in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, 10th edition, vol. 33, p. 724-726 (source)
- Wages by occupation for men and women - Paris, 1848Source: Five hundred employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each, pp. 492-499.
- Daily wages by occupation and sex - France, 1840-1893These two tables show the average daily wages for various occupations from 1840-1845, 1860-1865, and 1891-1893 for both male and female employees. The first table deals primarily with Paris and its suburbs while the second outside of the Seine (Paris). Source: Bulletin of the US BLS no. 21, pg. 326
WAGES in GERMANY
- Manufacturing wages by decade - Wurtemberg, 1830-1872The two tables on pg. 544 show the daily wages of factory workers and mechanics respectively from 1830-1872. A total average is also shown for labor in the city of Stuttgart specifically. Source: Labor in Europe and America, p. 544.
WAGES in RUSSIA
- Cotton mill wages by occupation in Russia, 1841Wages in St. Petersburg. Source: Commercial statistics by John MacGregor, Vol. II, p. 670.
WAGES in the UNITED KINGDOM
- Factory and agricultural wages, 1847Compares factory worker wages in Belfast, Manchester, Leeds, Grenock and Glasgow to wages in Massachusetts. Farm labor wages are also mentioned, as well as the cost for room and board and to rent farm land. See further background in the Notes section of the book.
- Wages in the United Kingdom, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
Foreign wages by occupation (A-Z) then country, 1840-1849
Click a letter tab to see average daily wages for males and females by occupation and country. Source: A Compilation of Wages in Commercial Countries from Official Sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).
- Gas fitters (1840-1900)
- Glass blowers, bottles (1841-1898)
- Glass blowers, window glass (1841-1898)
- Glaziers (1839-1899)
- Glove makers (1841-1898)
- Goldsmiths (1846-1897)
- Harness and saddle makers (1840-1899)
- Hat makers (1839-1898)
- Hod carriers (1789-1900)
- Horse shoers (1839-1900)
- Iron molders (1839-1900)
- Jewelers (1846-1899)
Food prices by state, 1840-1849
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - multiple places, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
Some families bought provisions by the bushel or barrel- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- East coast - Food prices by city, 1840-1892Prices paid by the U.S. Navy for food and provisions, reported by the place where food was to be delivered. Source: Serial Set #3074 pt. 4, pp. 1584-1588.
- California - Prices during the Gold Rush, 1848-1849
- San Francisco prices for food, tools, medicine, housing and more on p. 213. Chapter titled"1849" provides greater price detail for foods and services, p. 253. Restaurant prices, p. 641. Source: Annals of San Francisco, pub. 1855.
- San Francisco food prices in Gold Rush era are described in the memoirs of a a hotel/boarding house proprietor. Source: Reminiscences and incidents of early days of San Francisco by John Henry Brown.
- Food prices in and near San Francisco described in The works of Hubert Howe Bancroft vol. 24, pp. 102-107.
- Illinois grain prices, 1831-1860Shows the price of corn, oats, and wheat in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
- Kentucky farm goods - Prices, 1840-1860Shows price of corn, wheat, butter, eggs, and more as reported by a Richmond KY correspondent. Source: KY Bur. of Ag., Labor & Statistics rpt., pp. 255-256.
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - New Orleans, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- Massachusetts - Prices for foodSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual report.
- Dairy products: Prices for butter, milk, cheese and eggs.
- Food preparations: Prices for bread, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, crackers, cream of tartar, lard, molasses, saleratus, sugar, starch, salt, tapioca, tea, and more.
- Flour and Meal: Flour, graham flour, "Indian Meal," rye meal, oatmeal, and more.
- Agricultural products (Fruits, vegetables, grains)
- Meats and Nuts: Prices for bacon, beef, ham, lamb, mutton, pork, almonds, etc.
- Poultry and game: Price per pound of goose, turkey, and poultry.
- Fish: Prices for halibut, herring, haddock, salmon, codfish, eels, etc.
- Liquors and Beverages: Prices for beer, brandy, cider, gin, rum, and wine.
- Spices and condiments
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - Boston, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - Baltimore, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- Michigan food prices - Ypsilanti, 1847Source: newspaper advertisement.
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - St. Louis, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- Food and provision prices - New York, 1825-1882Shows high and low prices of 25 foods and provisions in NYC over 56 years. Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor & Industrial Statistics, pp. 248-250.
- Food prices paid by War Dept. - New York City, 1840sThese may be wholesale prices. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Flour and pork by the barrel, pp. 1654-1655
- Beans by the bushel, pp. 1692-1693
- Coffee and sugar by the pound, pp. 1730-1731
- Vinegar and salt, pp. 1768-1769
- New York market - Wholesale prices of staple items, 1840sShows monthly prices for the 1840s on pp. 314-333, and yearly price averages from 1825-1863 for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco and more. Source: U.S. Treasury.
- Price of wheat and fowls - Albany NY, 1793-1846Shows annual price data as well as wages paid for one day's service for every year from 1793-1846. Source: Documents of the NY Senate no. 92, 1846 v.3, pp. 25-27.
- Ohio food prices by city, 1840s
- Prices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 801-804.
- Prices in Columbus are on pages 816-818.
- Prices in Cleveland are on pp. 830-831.
- Ohio prices, 1840-1847Shows price of coffee, sugar, corn and wheat and more. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics 7th annual report (1863), p. 621.
- Oregon prices, 1846Newspaper printed a letter from an Oregon emigrant citing high prices for coffee, sugar, salt, beef and pork as well as shoes, boots, window glass, hand tools and more. See additional corroboration from another emigrant's letter printed in a different newspaper. The column is long but by clicking to view the full page, you can read it all, including segments like this.
- South Carolina food prices, 1846Robert's Prices Current shows what appear to be retail prices for coffee, tea, sugar, molasses, rice, bacon and crackers, as well as some personal and household items.
- Wisconsin - Milwaukee price list, 1847Mostly food prices as reported in a newspaper dated Oct 1847.
Transportation prices - 1840-1849
- Railroad fares - Comparative rates in the U.S., 1847Source: American Railroad Journal, Nov 20, 1847, p. 738.
RR fare from NYC to Philadelphia was $4.00 in 1848 - Railroad passenger fares, 1848Shows interstate railroad passenger fares from New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Division of Statistics.
- Railroad passenger fare - Michigan, 1849Shows fares from Detroit in1st and 2nd class.
- Rail fares to and from specific cities, 1845-1847
- Covered wagon, harness, mules, oxen etc. prices - 1849Source: Emigrant's Guide to California (1849), chapter 1.
- Stage coach fares
- From Rochester NY, 1844. Source: Western traveler, p. 48
- From Buffalo NY, 1844 Source: Western traveler, p. 62
- Lewiston NY to Detroit via Canada, 1845. Source: New-York traveller, p. 47
- Boston to Lowell, 1844-1848. Source: Mass. state legislative report, pp. 6-7
- Hackney cab, coach and carriage ratesGenerally for transportation within city limits.
Cabriolets (“cabs”) were
one-horse carriages for hire
- Riverboat fares, early 1840s"The charge or fare for passage on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is about $3 per 100 miles for long distances, and 4¢ to 5¢ per mile for short distances. Deck passengers, $1 per 100 miles." Source: Commercial statistics of America, p. 707.
Deck passengers paid less than those in cabins
- New York to California, 1849Shows options for routes and conveyances from New York to California, with costs for each leg of the journey. Also discusses the cost of supplies one might need for the trip. Source: Emigrant's Guide to California.
- Travel to California, Oregon and New Mexico, 1849Details travel routes, including prices. It discusses routes from New York to St. Louis then options for continuing west. Source: Emigrant's guide to New Mexico, California, and Oregon by Disturnell (1849).
- Baltimore to New Orleans, 1847This trip involved rail, stagecoach and steamboat. Source: Appleton's, pp. 224-225.
More prices in the United States, 1840-1849
HOUSING and LAND, 1840s
- Materials and cost of labor to build a log house on a prairie, 1844Emigrant's guide describes all the materials and supplies needed to build a log house in the American Midwest (pp. 26-28). It also gives itemized estimates of the hours and cost of labor needed to construct the dwelling. The writer makes reference to the year 1844 on page 25, so it appears the figures were most likely gathered in the early 1840s.
- Cost to build homes, 1847Shows floor plans, drawings, and cost to build assuming certain wage rates. Source: The architect: a series of original designs Vol. I and Vol. II, c1847.
Estimated cost to build this 1847 house - Home plans with cost to build, 1849-1850Source: American architect: comprising original designs of cheap country and village residences by John W. Ritch.
- Window glass and nail prices, 1846Window panes cost approximately 4-6 cents each according to Robert's Prices Current.
- Boarding house rates for factory workers - Massachusetts, 1848Male employees of the Lawrence Manufacturing Co. were charged $1.75 per week. Female employees were charged $1.25/week.
PRICES for ANIMALS, 1840s
- Livestock prices - Illinois, 1831-1860Shows the price of horses, cows, sheep, and other livestock in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1840s
- Household item prices - Massachusetts, 1840sPrices for tallow, candles, soap, lamp oil, cutlery, tobacco and snuff, paper, fuel (oak wood, pine wood, etc.,) carpet, brooms, matches, tubs, tumblers, and more. Source: Massachusetts BLS 16th annual report.
- Household item prices - Massachusetts, NH and NY, 1840sShows the (wholesale?) price of blankets, carpets, fabrics and more fabrics. Shows prices for iron tea kettles and saucepans by the dozen. Source: U.S. Treasury report dated 1849.
- Emigrants' supplies, 1849Lists prices of guns and pistols, powder, lead, matches, etc. Also shows price of a wagon, harness, wagon cover, etc. and the typical prices for oxen and mules. Source: Emigrant's Guide to California (1849), chapter 1.
- Candle and soap prices paid by War Dept., 1840sPrices by the pound at NYC, Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans and St. Louis. Source: Aldrich report, Serial Set #3074 pt. 4.
- Rifle powder - Wholesale prices, 1845-1860Source: Aldrich report, part 2, pp. 290-291.
- New Hampshire prices, 1840sMost price data for the 1840s are on pp. 45-46. Prices of molasses and tea are on p.28. Source: 1872 Report of the New Hampshire Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Cotton and cotton goods prices - New York, 1847-1886Shows the price per pound or per yard of middling cotton, sheetings, drillings, prints, and cloths in New York City. Source: 1887 Ohio Secretary of State annual report.
- Tools - Wholesale prices, 1840sPrices by the dozen: hammers, shovels, axes, hoes, files, augurs, scythes, vices and other tools. Source: U.S. Treasury report dated 1849, p. 297.
CLOTHING PRICES, 1840s
- Hat prices, 1846Gentlemen's white beaver broad brimmed hats cost $2 to $6, and wool hats were 75 cents according to Robert's Prices Current.
- San Francisco - Price of boots in 1849The Gold Rush caused extreme price inflation in San Francisco. "Coarse boots...could not be purchased for less than $30-40 per pair, while superior ones of the same class were sold for more than $100." Source: Annals of San Francisco (1855), p. 253.
- Massachusetts - Prices for clothing, 1840sSource: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Ann. rpt. (1885).
COMMUNICATION RATES, 1840s
- Telegraph prices, 1847Source: Appleton's railroad and steamboat companion (1847), pp. 230-232.
- Telegraph rates, 1849Rates between NY, NJ, PA, DC, DE, CT, MA and more. Source, p. 75.
- Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863Source: Historian of the United States Postal Service.
- Postage to Europe, 1847Source: Appletons' railroad and steamboat companion.
- Price of a newspaper or magazine annual subscription, 1845Source: Sheldon & Co.'s business directory, 1845, page 6 of the Philadelphia section.
HOTEL RATES
- Boston
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists six Boston hotels charging $2.00 per day (pp. 39-40). This included the Adams House, the United States Hotel and the Revere House.
- Buffalo
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists Huff's Hotel, $1.50 per day
- Detroit
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists five hotels charging 75 cents to $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- Chicago
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists six hotels charging $1 to $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- Louisville
- 1848 hotel directory lists Exchange Hotel, $1.50 per day
- Milwaukee
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists three hotels charging $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- New Orleans
- 1848 hotel directory lists Planter's Hotel, $1.50 per day
- New York City
- 1846 Great Metropolis guide lists rates for 18 hotels (pp. 103-105)
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists rates for over 20 hotels (pp. 111-113)
- 1848 hotel directory lists U. S. Hotel and Western Hotel, both at $1.50/day
- Philadelphia
- 1848 hotel directory lists American Hotel, $1.50 per day
- San Francisco
- 1849 hotels generally charged from $2 to $10 per day. Boarding houses charged $8/day or $30/week. For a detailed description of conditions, see chapter "Hotels, restaurants and boarding houses" (pp. 639-652) in Annals of San Francisco, published 1855.
HEALTH CARE prices, 1840s
- California - Doctor's fees in gold mines region, 1848"An ounce of gold is the fee generally given" [for a doctor consultation] according to the 1849 publication, Four months among the gold-finders in California.
- Connecticut - Physician's fees, 1842Fee table of the New Haven Medical Association, adopted in 1842, p. 10.
- Georgia - Medical service rate chart, 1841Medical charges established by physicians of Macon (GA) for medicine, midwifery and surgery. Source, p. 334.
Uncomplicated childbirth was generally $5 to $10 - Indiana - Doctor's fees, 1845-1850List of charges found in the books of a Sullivan County Indiana doctor. Source: Source, p. 24.
- Michigan - Medical fees in Detroit, 1848Lists charges for medical advice, visits with and without a prescription, vaccination, applying leeches, bleeding, midwifery, amputation,post mortem examinations, and more. Source: The Lancet, 1848 volume 2, p.319.
- Philadelphia - Medical service charges, 1848For practitioners affiliated with the Philadelphia College of Physicians. Source: p. 235.
- Opium price (wholesale), 1840-1891The price of opium doubled during the 1840s, from $2 per pound to $3.90 per pound in 1849. Source: Congressional report.
- Female pills by mail order, 1840sAdvertised to treat missed periods, Desomeaux's Pills were also known to induce miscarriage. Source: Married woman's private medical companion (1849), pp. 17-18.
PRICES for SERVICES, 1840s
- Price of a haircut and shave -- New York, 1840s
When coins were Pieces of Eight, a haircut may have cost one bit (12½¢)
or two bits (25¢)
COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1840s
- MULTIPLE colleges - Student expenses compared, 1840sSee college tuition, room-rent, board, fuel, light and washing list in this Almanac source.
BOOK PRICES, 1847
- American Booksellers' Complete reference trade list.
Shows prices of books (including school books) published in the U.S. - Harper's illustrated catalogue... of general literature
Shows book titles and prices. Includes a section showing college and school books.
PRICE of AMUSEMENTS, etc., 1840s
- Price of amusements and attractions by city, 1847Admission to museums and gardens, as well as theatre ticket prices and more in Boston (pp. 40-42), New York City (pp. 113-114) and Philadelphia (pp. 217-218). Source: Appletons' railroad and steamboat companion.
Prices in foreign countries, 1840-1849
- Ireland - Prices by county, ca. 1846In the1846 Dublin publication titled Report on the Irish Coercion Bill, Causes of Discontent in Ireland, Condition of its People..., T. M. Ray reports anecdotal evidence of rents and the price for clothing in Ireland around 1845-1846. It also indicates consumer expenditures, or how much they were spending overall for clothing and other necessities annually -- see example of clothing expenditures in County Wicklow; with more examples scattered through pages 99-106. Although there is a chapter on food, it gives only a little price data, such as the price of salt herrings.
- Household income and expenditures - Manchester, 1836 and 1841Twelve Manchester families' income and expenditures are listed individually on pages 323-332. Shows how much each family spent per week on rent, various food items, coffee, tea, salt, soap, candles, etc. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London.
- Food and fuel prices - England and Wales, 1847Table shows the average contract prices of the provisions and fuel supplied to the workhouses in England and Wales. One column shows "Average weekly cost per head of in-door paupers" for food and clothing. Shows the price paid by workhouses for wheat bread, meats, butter, cheese, potatoes, peas, oatmeal, candles, soap, tea, sugar, milk; and coal for fuel, p. 294.
- Bread prices - England, 1817-1846Shows average prices of bread in England for each year from 1660-1899 on pages 27-35. Source: Three Centuries of Prices of Wheat, Flour and Bread. The introduction to this table explains that these prices are for the type of bread consumed by lower middle classes, not the "fancy bread." Price sources are provided on page 21-22.
- House rent in Great Britain, 1821-1881Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
- Grain prices (average) - England, 1840-1853Average monthly prices calculated from figures printed in the London Gazette newspaper, for an "imperial quarter" of wheat, barley or oats. Source: Statistical Abstract for the UK, p. 22.
- Gold and silver prices in London, 1840-1847With exchanges on Hamburg and Paris. Source: History of prices by Tooke (1848)
- Retail prices in Great BritainShows retail prices of bread throughout the UK as well as other foodstuffs in London from the colonial period up to the 1880s. Source: Report on wholesale and retail prices in the United Kingdom.
- Alcohol prices - London, 1841Price list at Gray's Inn Wine Establishment. Source: Gentleman's magazine, Dec 1841.
TAXES
- Duties (taxes) in Great Britain, 1842Property tax was based on the number of windows in houses. Duties also had to be paid by those who owned horses, dogs, carriages, had servants, wore hair powder, or employed waiters or coachmen. Source: 1842 British Almanac, pp. 93-95.
- Living expenses in France, 1841. Lists costs of food, provisions, rent, cost to pay a servant or cook, educational expenses and more. Source: Itinerary of France by Reichard, a guidebook for English travelers. Currency equivalents between French and English money appears on pp. 5-6.
- Italy - Food prices in Milan, 1801-1908Lists prices of wheat, bread, wine, beef, pork, butter and rice. Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Vol. 20 #87, pp. 599-607.
- Grain prices - Sweden, 1836-1900This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Annual consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye, potatoes, coffee, tea, sugar and alcoholic beverages, p. 156.
- European and U.S. money equivalents, 1848Shows U.S. dollar equivalent for about forty different foreign coins. Source: Emigrant's Hand Book pub. by Colton in 1848, p. 136. Examples:
- One British pound sterling = $4.84
- One Spanish doubloon = $15.93 ¼
- One French franc = 18 ¾ ¢
- One Roman scudo = $1.04 ½
- One Swedish rix dollar = $1.09 ¼
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Analysis and calculators, 1840s
- Nineteenth century wage trendsBrief booklet reviews wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. BLS Staff Paper #2.
- Online calculator: Present-day purchasing power of historic monetary amountsThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand historic monetary purchases and payments in present-day terms, for the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
- Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
- "How much is that in real money? A historical price index..."Provides explanations and charts to help users calculate the current value of historic dollar amounts. Source: Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Assn., Vol. 101 #2. Source
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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748
