Prices and Wages by Decade: 1860-1869
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, 1860-1869
- Unskilled occupations - Average daily wages, 1840-1891Shows wages of laborers, yard hands, watchmen, teamsters, quarrymen, coal-heavers, helpers, unskilled factory operatives, without any geographic breakouts. Source: Journal of Political Economy vol. 13, pp. 361-363.
- Wages for four common occupations in 1860, by stateThe 1860 Census showed average wages for farm hands, day laborers, carpenters and female domestic workers. This source also shows the number of people in each state/territory working in each occupation.
Civil War pay, 1861-1865
- Army
- Officer pay, 1861-1862 in U.S. Army Register.
- Pay, 1863 with additional occupational breakouts
- Officer pay shown in War Claimant's Guide, pp. 180-183.
- Pay, 1863 for New Mexico Infantry privates, officers and supportive roles (wagoner, musician, hospital steward, etc.)
- Navy
- Officer pay tables for 1860-July 1862 and July 1862-1870.
- Officer and surgeon pay, 1863
- Pay shown in War Claimant's Guide by G. Raff, p. 197.
- Marines
- Officer pay shown in War Claimant's Guide by G. Raff, p. 203.
- Prisoners of War - Pay
A 1864 Union circular recommended paying Confederate prisoners 10¢ /day to mechanics and 5¢ /day to laborers. Additional detail and explanation in History of prisoner of war utilization by the United States (pub. 1955).
- Army pay for generals, colonels, lieutenants, majors, sergeants, captains, corporals, artificers, musicians, chaplains and privates. Source: Confederate States Almanac (1862)
- Pay for officers, enlisted men, medical department personnel and general staff as well as blacksmiths, carriage makers, armorers and more in Digest of the military and naval laws of the Confederate States... published 1864, pp. 28-31.
- Nurse pay cited in Our Army nurses...during our Civil War (pub 1895)
Civil War nurse- "The pay of those regularly mustered in the service was $12 per month..." (p. 13)
- Hospital matron pay was $6 per month until 1863, when it was increased to $10 (p. 551)
- Contract nurses were paid $13 per month, according to the National Assoc. of Civil War Army Nurses (see entry for Hannah Starbird, p. 59)
Wages by occupation, 1860-1869
A
- Artificial limb makers - Wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Astrologer - 1866 advertisement shows a $1 fee for consultations
B
- Blacksmiths - BLS Bulletin no. 499.
- Boiler makers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Bricklayers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Building trades - Daily wages in New York in 1869 for carpenters, plasterers, painters, etc.
C
- Cabinet makers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Carpenters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Coal miners in Pennsylvania, BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
- Coopers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Cooper shops in western states - Wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Core makers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Cotton mills, weekly wages by state - in Special report on immigration (1869)
D
- Dressers, woolen and worsted goods - BLS Bulletin no. 499
E-F
- Engineers, stationary - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Firemen, locomotive - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Firemen, stationary - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Furnace keepers in Pennsylvania - BLS Bulletin no. 499
G
- Gas works - Wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Glass blowers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Glass works - Employee wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Government salaries, federal and state ca. 1867
Shows salaries by agency and position. Source: World Almanac, 1868, which quoted from the Official Register of the United States volumes (see them here). - Grocers in New Hampshire - Serial Set #3074 pt. 3, p. 893.
H
- Hod Carriers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
FARM WAGES
- Farm wages by state, 1860
- Source: Labor in Europe and America, pp. 739-744
- National and regional level data
- 1860 - Average monthly earnings with board. See explanation for this table.
- 1866 and 1869 - Wages with or without board, at harvest or other times.
- State level data
- 1866 monthly wage data in USDA Monthly Bulletin, Jan 1867
- 1866-1909 in in USDA Bureau of Statistics Bulletin #99, pp. 29-31.
- Average wages per day without board in Table 17.
- Daily wages with board in Table 18.
- "Extras received by laborers" discusses non-monetary benefits paid to farm laborers, pp. 49-52.
- Purchasing power of farm wages over the years discussed, pp. 52-53.
- Southern states
- 1860, 1867, 1868 - Shows monetary pay for outdoor labor on farms, and details the rations and clothing that were distributed along with monetary pay in 1860. States covered: VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, AR, TN.
- 1863 - Wages paid to old people and women to do farm labor ordinarily handled by able-bodied men.
- Wages in 1860-1869 for NY, NJ, IL, IA and AL in BLS Bulletin no. 499, pg. 225
- Individual states:
- Alabama, 1867 (Freedmen wages)
- North Carolina, 1867 (Freedmen share)
- Vermont, 1780-1937
Table 26 shows daily and monthly wages with board. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station. - Missouri, 1866-1930
Wages with and without board, during harvest time or at other times. Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.
H-I
- Hospital staff in St. Louis, 1861: doctor, nurse, apothecary and steward salaries at St. Louis Marine Hospital in this source, p. 15.
- Iron foundry worker wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Iron miners - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Iron molders - BLS Bulletin no. 499
K
- Knitters, hosiery - BLS Bulletin no. 499
L
- Laborers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Lawyers - "The common charge for ordinary professional labor by lawyers is $3 (per day) and expenses, and in all cases extra ability commands a far greater sum," quoted in an 1860 Vermont school report, p. 101.
- Leather worker wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Librarians at Yale earned $225/year; their assistants received $75/year in 1869.
M
- Machinists - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Manufacturing wages, 1850s-1870s
Published in 1886 as part of the 10th U.S. Census. Also printed in Serial Set Vol. 2150. - Marble cutters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Mechanical labor wages by state in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Military - SEE box above, "Civil War pay"
- Millwrights, flour mill - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Mining job pay in western states, 1867
- Ministers, 1869
- Musical instrument manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
P
Potters earned $2.50/ day in Mass., 1865- Painters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Paper mills - Wages by state, in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Patent examiners employed at U.S. Patent Office, 1869
- Patent medicine manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Pattern makers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Peddler - "An active peddler expects to receive not less than $1.50 [daily] for selling tin ware and notions; and if he sells dry goods, fancy articles or cigars, he receives $2 and upwards" (source: 1860 Vermont school report, p. 101.)
- Pilot, steamboat
- Plasterers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Plumbers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Pottery and earthenware manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
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Printing and publishing - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Bookbinders, pg. 337
- Compositors, pp. 347-348
- Pressmen, pg. 355
- Press feeders, pg. 340
- Railroad worker wages in Massachusetts - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Railroad machine shop wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Rubber goods manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Sewing machine operators - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Shoemaker wages by state in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Shoemakers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Silverware manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Spinners - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Stone cutters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Sawyers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Shipbuilding wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Steamboat crew wages, 1864 (wages paid to men by the U.S. government when they pressed a private steamboat into military service). The pilot's normal salary was $400/month.
TEACHER SALARIES...
- By state, 1864-1865
Provides average monthly salaries for male and female teachers in the states of MA, PA, CT, MI, OH, VT, ME, IA, WI, IN, NH, IL and CA for the years 1864 and 1865. - In major U.S. cities, ca. 1867
Includes salaries of school principals, "assistants," art teachers and music teachers, broken out by primary grades, grammar school and high school in cities such as Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, St. Louis, San Francisco, etc. Table is not dated but it is likely from around 1866-1867. - By state and sex, 1869-1870
- In selected cities, 1840-1891, Aldrich report part 4, pp. 1573-1581.
- SPECIFIC STATES:
- California, 1860s
- Connecticut, 1865. Source: U.S. Commissioner of Education.
- Illinois, 1855-1874. Source: Illinois Supt of Public Instruction, 11th biennial report
- Massachusetts,1865. Source: Massachusetts Board of Education
- Minnesota, by county and sex, 1862
Shows wage detail for common and high schools, "Colored" schools, private and select schools, etc. Source: Minnesota Commissioner of Common Schools. - Missouri, by county and sex, 1860 and 1868
Compare to county reports of teacher wages reported for 1860.
Textile worker at a carding engine, 1860sT
- Tanners - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Teamsters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Textile industry wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Cotton mills, wages by state
- Woolen mills, wages by state
V
- Veterinarians
An 1860 Vermont school report indicates that a "horse doctor" would expect to earn at least $2 daily, see p. 101.
W
- Wallpaper ("paper hangings") production wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Wheel and wagon manufacturing wages in Special report on immigration (1869)
- Winders in Massachusetts - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Woodworkers - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Wool sorters - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Woolen mill wages by state, in Special report on immigration (1869)
Women's wages by occupation, 1860-1869
The 1863 book Employments of women: a cyclopaedia of woman's work shows estimated earnings by occupation. Compiler Virginia Penny collected data from 1859-1863 mostly in and around NYC, Massachusetts and eastern Pennsylvania (more info), but also provides some wage data for southern states. Read more about this project in "Work for women," a newspaper article dated Feb 15, 1893.
Click the tabs above for direct links to occupations. The data presented here is from Penny's book unless otherwise noted.
- Actors
- Agricultural wages by state for women, 1866 (Source: Ohio govt rept.)
- Architects
- Artists
- Art teachers
- Crayon and pastel works
- Design school teachers
- Painters
- Coloring plates for books
- Miniatures
- Scene painters for theaters
- Photograph colorists
- Plaster cast makers (for home decor and architectural ornamentation)
- Bakers of bread and pies
- Bathhouse attendants
- Bookbinders
- Bookkeepers
- Candlemakers
- Women might earn up to $13 - $15 per month after three years.
- Candy makers
- While some made $2 per week, talented painters could earn up to $5 per week.
- Cheese makers
- Cigar makers
- Clock makers
- Coffee and chocolate makers
- Comb manufacturing
- Copyists
- employed in Washington DC, probably around 1860-1861
- employed by the U.S. Patent Office, 1869
- Cutlery manufacturing
- Designers of textile patterns
- Designers of wall paper
- Dinnerware merchants
- Domestic servants' wages, ca. 1862 (Source: Settler's guide in the U.S. by Thomas Spence)
- Boston, p. 47.
- Massachusetts, p. 56
- Electrical machine assembly
- The women worked ten hours a day year-round.
- Engravers
- Equestrians
- Eye glasses makers
- Hair dressers
- Hat makers -- SEE Milliners
- Horses
- Equestrians
- Horsemanship instructors
- Horse covering artists (makers of decorative blankets with tassels, etc.)
- Ice skate manufacturers
- Women were paid per skate produced, and averaged 50 cents a day.
- Jewelry
- Journalists
- Pay for a newspaper columnist
- Pay for magazine contributors
- Language instructors
- Lantern makers
- Lapidaries
- Leather workers
- Harness makers
- Leather cases (jewelry and instruments)
- Saddles
- Librarians
- Lighthouse Keepers
- While it is rare for women to be lighthouse keepers, this book found that two sisters whose father owned a lighthouse were paid $250 for a year.
- Lithographers
- Needlework teachers (embroidery, knitting, etc.)
- Newspaper vendors
- sellers on steamboats and railways
- Nurse pay cited in Our Army nurses...during our Civil War (pub 1895)
Civil War nurse
- The pay of those regularly mustered in the service was $12 per month... (p. 13)
- Hospital matron pay was $6 per month until 1863, when it was increased to $10 (p. 551)
- Nurses - "contract nurses" were paid $13 per month, according to the National Assoc. of Civil War Army Nurses (see entry for Hannah Starbird, p. 59)
- Nursing wages by sex of patient and experience of worker
- Sales clerks
- School principals
- Seamstresses (also Sempstresses)
- Servants, female - Wages in western territories, 1869
Pay averaged $50 monthly in Montana Territory, and $40 per month in Idaho and Arizona territories (p. 217). Source: Special Report on Immigration, U.S. Dept of Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, pub. 1871. - Security assistants
The government employed women to search female travelers for smuggled items. -
Sewing machine sellers
Opera singers might earn $400-500 /night - Sewing machine instructors
- Shirt makers
- Shoemakers
- Singers
- Soap makers (fancy/fine)
- Spinners
- Swimming instructors
Teacher salaries per month:
- By state and sex (compares many states in one table)
- In specific states:
- Alabama
- 1869-1870 - Men $80.00; women $60.00
- Arkansas
- 1869-1870 - Men $81.30; women $62.81
- California
- 1869 - Pay by sex and county, pages 96-97
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- 1869-1870 - Men $112.00; women $76.00
- Maine
- 1869-1870 - Men $32.27; women $14.00
- Maryland
- 1869-1870 - Men $43.60; women $43.00
- Minnesota
- 1869-1870 - Men $33.91; women $22.45
- Nevada
- 1869-1870 - Men $118.75; women $92.16
- North Carolina
- 1869-1870 - Men $ 20.50; women $18.50
- Vermont
- Alabama
- Anecdotal mentions of salaries in Employments of Women by V. Penny, 1863.
- Tailors
- Tea makers
- Teeth manufacturing
- Telegraph operators
- Textiles
- Textiles (Linen)
- Tobacco pipe makers
- Tobacco processing
- Toy makers
- Both men and women are employed as toy makers, but do not complete the same tasks. Women could expect to earn at least $3.00 a week and pay $2.00 in board.
- Watchmakers
- Wine makers
- Wood work
- Writers
- Literary agents
- Pay for a newspaper columnist
- Pay for magazine contributors
- Pay to novelists
- Pay to authors
Wages by state, 1860-1869
- Wages by occupation and state, 1869-1870Lists average weekly wages by state for factory, mechanical and farm labor. Source: Special report on immigration..., U.S. Bureau of Statistics, 1871.
- Agriculture wages by state, 1866Shows monthly wages (without board) of male and female agricultural laborers in 26 states. Source: Ohio State Board of Agriculture, 21st Annual report.
- Wages by occupation and sex, 1840-1891 (not averaged)Reports wages paid to individual, unnamed male and female employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments in the northeast U.S. Source: Congressional report Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, pub. 1893. Industries covered:
- Book and newspaper publishers (CT, NY, MD), p. 329
- Building trades (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI), p. 394
WAGES in ARIZONA
- Female servant's average wages in 1869
Pay averaged $40 per month in Idaho and Arizona territories (p. 217). Source: Special Report on Immigration, U.S. Dept of Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, pub. 1871.
WAGES in CALIFORNIA
- Mining wages - California, 1867Tells average wage rates for unskilled miners as well as carpenters, masons, engineers and other skilled occupations. Source: Report of J. Ross Browne on the mineral resources of the states, 1868, p. 384.
- Wages by occupation - San Francisco, 1869Lists wages for about 150 occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Statistics report, pp. 47-48.
- Teacher salaries by county - California, 1862Source: 12th Annual Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, pp. 34-35.
- Teacher salaries by sex and county - California, 1869Table spans pp.96-97 in the U.S. Commissioner of Education report for 1870.
- County officer and judicial salaries - California, 1867Shows salaries for sheriff, judge, district attorney, coroner, recorder, clerk, assessor, treasurer, surveyor, public administrator, township officials, etc. Counties are listed alphabetically; scroll forward to see them all. Source: Pacific coast business directory for 1867.
WAGES in the DISTRICT of COLUMBIA
- Copyists, female - WagesSource: The employments of women by V. Penny (1863). See also the wages for female copyists employed by the Patent Office in 1869.
- Mint, U.S. - Wages by sex, ca. 1860-1862Source: The employments of women (1863), pp. 61-62.
WAGES in DELAWARE
- Railroad car and ship building wages (not averaged) - Delaware, 1864-1891Reports hours and wages paid to individual, unnamed blacksmiths, car builders, laborers, painters, sash makers and foremen. Source: Congressional report Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, pub. 1893, pp. 482-508.
WAGES in IDAHO
- Female servant's average wages in 1869
Pay averaged $40 per month in Idaho and Arizona territories (p. 217). Source: Special Report on Immigration, U.S. Dept of Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, pub. 1871.
WAGES in ILLINOIS
School teacher average monthly wages
WAGES in KENTUCKY
- Farm labor wages - Richmond, 1840-1860Page 256 shows the wages of farm hands in various times throughout the year, including during and in between harvests. Theses pages also show the price of various agriculture goods. Source: Kentucky Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics
WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS
- Massachusetts - Wages by occupation, 1860-1897Average weekly wages by occupation in 1860, 1872, 1878, 1881 and 1897. Source: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor 28th Annual report, pp. 4-12.
- Massachusetts wages in manufacturing industries, 1860Compares wages in MA to that of Great Britain (abbreviated G.B. in the tables.)
- Wages by occupation and sex - Massachusetts, 1840-1891 (not averaged)Reports wages paid to individual employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments. Source: Congressional report Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, pub. 1893. Industries covered:
- Agricultural implement manufacture, p. 293
- Building trades, p. 407
- City public works, p. 512
- Cotton milling, p. 550
WAGES in MAINE
- Cotton factory wages - Maine, ca. 1862Males earned $30/month on average, females earned $12.15. Source: Settler's guide in the United States and British North American provinces by Thomas Spence, published 1862, page 17.
WAGES in MISSOURI
- Farm wages - Missouri, 1866-1920With or without board, during harvest or at other times. Source: MO State Board of Agriculture Monthly Bulletin, Jan 1921, p. 75.
- Farm wages in Missouri counties, 1866Source: MO State Board of Agriculture, 2nd annual report.
- Callaway County
- Johnson County
- Knox County
- Lafayette County - Wages of Freedmen as day laborers
- Livingston County
- Vernon County - Freedmen were working for former masters without pay
WAGES in MINNESOTA
- Logging industry wages in Minnesota, 1868 seasonShows average monthly wages paid to men who worked on rafts and for labor in the woods. Also shows the price of logs. Source: Statistics of Minnesota for 1869.
WAGES in MONTANA
- Female servant's average wages in 1869
Pay averaged $50 monthly in Montana Territory (p. 217). Source: Special Report on Immigration, U.S. Dept of Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, pub. 1871.
WAGES in NEW HAMPSHIRE
- New Hampshire prices and wages, 1860sSource: 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature, pages 48-51 focus on 1860-1870.
- Clergy in New Hampshire, 1860sThis publication show the salary paid to a reverend who served in Candia, NH from 1859-1864. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869).
WAGES in NEVADA
- Miner, mill hand and servant wages - Nevada, 1867Also tells food prices, boarding rates and cost of living. Source: Report of J. Ross Browne on the mineral resources of the states, 1868, p. 384.
WAGES in NEW YORK
- Union wages in New York, 1869Shows weekly wages in 88 trades. Copied from the New York Daily Times newspaper.
- Building trade wages in New York City suburbs, 1869A laborer could earn $2 per day; a plasterer could earn $5.50 per day. See wages for bricklayers, carpenters, painters and more in Woodward's, published 1869.
- Banking jobs - Salaries, ca. 1859-1863Shows earnings of male cashiers, clerks and tellers in New York City banks. Source: The employments of women: a cyclopaedia (1863)
- Wages by occupation and sex - New York, 1840-1891 (not averaged)Reports wages paid to individual employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments. Source: Congressional report Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, pub. 1893. Industries covered:
- Ale, beer and porter production, p. 312
- Book and newspaper publishers, p. 354
- Building trades, p. 440
- Wagon and carriage manufacture , p. 509
- Female grocer earnings, 1860sChapter describes the weekly wages for the average female grocer in New York, and the difficulties for workers to make rent. Source: The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's Work by Virginia Penny.
WAGES in OHIO
- Wages by occupation in Ohio, 1869Look for entries listing Ohio specifically. Source: "Miscellaneous occupations" in Special report on immigration (1869), pp. 209-212.
- Fire department wages in Cleveland Ohio, 1864-1865Lists all individuals employed by the Steam Fire Department along with job titles and monthly salaries for each man. This source does not provide salary averages.
WAGES in OREGON
- Wages by occupation - Oregon and Washington, 1862Shows both men's and women's occupations. Source: McCormick's Oregon and Washington almanac, 1862, p. 29.
WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA
- Wages by industry - Pennsylvania, 1860-1874
Shows average wages for various occupations in farming, mechanical labor, cotton mills, iron industries and machine shops. Source: Pennsylvania Secretary of Internal Affairs, 3rd annual report, pp. 118-120. - Philadelphia women's average wages were $4.50/week in 1859-1861, though some made $7.00 or $8.00 a week. Source: The Employments of Women by Virginia Penny (pub. 1863).
- Farm wages - Philadelphia, 1845-1884The two page graph following page 112 shows the daily wages of farm labor in and around Philadelphia. Source: Pennsylvania State Board of Agriculture, 8th annual report.
- Textile mill wages - Pennsylvania, 1869-1874Table 3 shows the average weekly wages of various occupation in cotton and textile mills within 5 different departments in Pennsylvania. Some observations note that part or all of the observed workers are either children or female. Source: Pennsylvania Secretary of Internal Affairs, annual report for 1874-1875, vol 3 part 3, p. 119.
- Freedmen wages - Portsmouth VA, 1865Letter from attorney describes successful effort to get fair pay for Freedmen working for the U.S. Navy. Source: Freedmen's Record, Nov 1865, p. 197.
WAGES in WASHINGTON
- Wages by occupation - Oregon and Washington, 1862Shows both men's and women's occupations. Source: McCormick's Oregon and Washington almanac, 1862, p. 29.
Foreign wages by country, then occupation - 1860-1869
WAGES in GREAT BRITAIN, 1860s
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Wages by occupation - Great Britain or England, late 1860sTables on pp. 202-207 include a column showing average wages by occupation in Great Britain or England, usually for the years 1866, 1867 or 1868.
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Working class wages in England, Scotland and Ireland, ca. 1867Earnings by occupation, wages and hours of labor, as well as prices of food, rent, tools, etc. and typical expenses for the working class in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Average wages overall are noted in the introduction. Note that shillings and pence may be written with a slash, so that 6 / 8 would indicate 6 shillings, 8 pence. Source:Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes (source) published in London.
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Wages in the UK, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
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Great Britain wages compared to Massachusetts, 1860-1883Mostly covers manufacturing industries. Wages reported in dollars. Each table spans two pages in the book. Source: Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living, a Mass. state govt report.
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Domestic servants' wages in English metropolises, 1860Wages of cooks, maids, gardeners, nurses, footmen, coachmen, stable boys and more. Source: Beeton's Book of household management, p. 8.
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Farm wages - Great Britain, 1850-1899Shows the average weekly cash wages of ordinary labor on 33 farms throughout England and Wales (source).
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Mowing an acre of grass or crops - Wages, 1862Small table at the bottom of the page shows the cost to mow an acre of grass, hoe an acre of turnips, and reap one acre of corn. Also compares to the cost of the same service in 1862 based in Northumberland, p. 52.
WAGES in AUSTRALIA, 1860s
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Australia - Melbourne wages in 1863 and 1868Wages expressed in pounds, shillings and pence for agricultural laborers, shepherds, masons, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, grooms, gardeners, laundresses, maids, nursemaids, household servants, ocean seamen, and more. Source: 1873 edition of the Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.
WAGES in BELGIUM, 1860s
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Belgium - Wages by occupation in Bavaria, 1866Farm wages for Bavaria appears on page 8. Occupations include watchmakers, roofers, pastry cooks, locksmiths, hatters, glove makers, women lacemakers, pavers, engineers, lamp makers, house painters, stonemasons, cigar makers and more. Exchange rates from francs to dollars are provided.
WAGES in FRANCE, 1860s
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France - Wages, 1860sData and discussion are provided in the "Wages" entry in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, 10th edition, vol. 33, p. 724-726 (source)
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Agricultural wages - France, 1788-1862Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
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Manufacturing wages in Paris, 1860This table shows the average daily wages of men, women, and children in various manufacturing occupations throughout Paris. A range of wages is also shown for each occupation. Source: Labor in Europe and America, pg. 438
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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: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 21, p. 326.
WAGES in GERMANY and PRUSSIA, 1860s
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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, pg. 544
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Wages by occupation and sex - Germany, 1868Shows the typical range of wages for men, women, and children in various branches and occupations in the German region of Lower Silesia. Source: Labor in Europe and America, pp. 490-492
WAGES in IRELAND, 1860s
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Agricultural laborer's cash wages - Ireland, 1850-1905Covers cash wages only. Source: Source: 11th UK Abstract of labour statistics, p. 67.
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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.
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Wages and earnings Ireland, ca. 1867Earnings by occupation, wages and hours of labor, as well as prices of food, rent, tools, etc. and typical expenses for the working class in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Average wages overall are noted in the introduction. Note that shillings and pence may be written with a slash, so that 6 / 8 would indicate 6 shillings, 8 pence. Source:Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes (source) published in London.
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United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
WAGES in RUSSIA, 1860s
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Wages in Moscow, 1869Pages 725-727 show the monthly wage rate of workers of various occupations in cotton mills, flax mills, textile and print, woolen manufactures, glass works, and paper mills in Moscow. Source: Labor in Europe and America, pp. 725-727.
WAGES in SCOTLAND, 1860s
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Carpenter and joiner wages - Scotland, 1869Wages listed by town. Source: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, vol. 33, p. 157
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Wages and earnings - Scotland, ca. 1867Earnings by occupation, wages and hours of labor, as well as prices of food, rent, tools, etc. and typical expenses for the working class in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Average wages overall are noted in the introduction. Note that shillings and pence may be written with a slash, so that 6 / 8 would indicate 6 shillings, 8 pence. Source:Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes (source) published in London.
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United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
WAGES in SPAIN, 1860s
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Spain - Wages in 1827, 1868 and 1902Tells wages in pesetas. Source: Luxemburg and Limburg, published in Great Britain by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office, p. 44.
WAGES in SWEDEN, 1860s
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Sweden - Farming wages for male and female workers, 1866-1900Shows average yearly salaries (besides room and board) for servants, the value of tenement laborers entire pay (including wages and provisions), summer and winter wages per day, and the wages earned in 300 days in Sweden for the years 1866-1900. Figures shown are in Kronor, but conversion rates for shillings and dollars are included. Source: Sweden: its people and its industry; historical and statistical handbook published by order of the government, Stockholm, 1904.
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Foreign coins - U.S. dollar equivalents, 1866Shows the U.S. dollar value equivalent of pounds, francs, lira, pesos, guilders, rupees and more. Source: U.S. Treasury Department, Statistics of the United States, p. 58.
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Foreign money - British pound equivalents, 1865Lists the value in British pounds for Spanish dollars, doubloons, American eagles, half-eagles and quarter eagles, gold and silver francs, as well as some South American money. Source: Guidebook of the Pacific, p. 52.
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British and French money equivalents, 1860Table shows equivalents based on exchange rates ranging from around 24 to 25 francs per pound. See table in Galignani's Paris Guide for 1860, p. 14.
Foreign wages by occupation (A - Z), 1860-1869
Source: 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, volume 1 and volume 2 (published 1900). All wage data is cited back to the original government source through report numbers; see the key to report numbers here.
- Cabinet makers (1810-1900)
- Carpenters (1725-1900)
- Carpenter foremen (1854-1900)
- Carriage and wagon trimmers (1839-1900)
- Chair makers (1845-1899)
- Chimney sweeps (1853-1898)
- Cigar makers (1860-1900)
- Clerks (1843-1899)
- Coffee and spice grinders (1861-1898)
- Compositors (1833-1900)
- Cooks (1852-1899)
- Coopers (1725-1900)
- Coppersmiths (1821-1899)
- Curriers, leather (1812-1899)
- Dishwashers (1872-1896)
- Distillers (1840-1899)
- Dock hands (1815-1899)
- Doffers (1839-1900)
- Draftsmen (1848-1899)
- Dressmakers (1851-1898)
- Drivers of delivery wagons (1841-1899)
- Embroiderers (1853-1898)
- Errand boys (1861-1899)
- Farm laborers (1725-1899)
- Farm laborers - Harvest hands (1725-1898)
- Furniture finishers (1845-1900)
- Firemen for illuminating gas (1840-1898)
- Firemen, stationary (1839-1900)
- Fullers, textile (1863-1896)
- Furriers (1860-1898)
- 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)
- Gunsmiths (1857-1896)
- 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)
- Newspaper reporters (1853-1898)
- Nurses (1852-1899)
- Office boys (1857-1896)
- Organ makers (1865-1900)
- Painters (1810-1900)
- Pattern makers (1839-1900)
- Piano makers (1865-1898)
- Plasterers (1725-1900)
- Plumbers (1725-1900)
- Porters (1828-1899)
- Potters (1840-1898)
- Prescription clerks (1840-1897)
- Pressmen, printing and publishing (1834-1900)
- Puddlers (1837-1899)
- Quarrymen (1842-1900)
- Roofers (1810-1900)
- Sail makers (1855-1900)
- Salesmen and saleswomen (1840-1899)
- Sawyers, lumber & lumber products (1810-1900)
- Seamen (1834-1900)
- Seamstresses (1836-1898)
- Servants (1768-1899)
- Shepherds (1843-1898)
- Ship carpenters (1812-1900)
- Shoemakers (1810-1899)
- Soap makers (1860-1897)
- Spinners, cotton (1804-1900)
- Spinners, wool (1818-1900)
- Stablemen (1855-1899)
- Stonecutters (1789-1900)
Travel & transportation costs, 1860s
- Cost to travel six months by covered wagon - ca. 1865This navigation guide to the gold regions gives a list of all items needed for four people to embark on such a journey (wagon, food, tools, equipment, supplies) and estimates the collective cost at $850. Costs are not itemized.
A 6-month wagon journey for 4 men might cost $850 in 1865 - Prices of horse-drawn vehicles, 1860Shows prices of carriages, buggies and surreys (p. 14) as well as sleighs, farm wagons, road wagons and spring wagons in The Course of prices of farm implements and machinery... (source).
- Horses - Average price per head, 1867-1920Source: USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition, p. 653.
- Railroad passenger fares by RR company, 1850-1897Average passenger fares in cents per mile. There is no differentiation between classes of travel. Source: USDS Misc. Bulletin #15, pp. 65-77.
- Passenger fares, 1865Quotes railway fares between NY, PA, DC, MA, CT, GA, SC, MS, MI, WI and more, taken from the 1865 Appleton's railway guide.
- Railroad passenger fares for lines in Pennsylvania - 1861See Question #96 in this survey. Each railroad company reported passenger fare price in cents per mile. Scroll forward to see answers from all RR companies.
- Emigrant price for RR ticket from NYC to Chicago, 1863An "emigrant rate" (third class) ticket from New York City to Chicago cost $11 in 1863. Source: International Railway Congress report, p. 4.
- Routes and fares to travel west, 1861Shows fares for different classes of travel to St. Louis from Boston, California from New York and more, pp. 393-396 in The Great West by C.W. Dana (1861). See also an account of conditions on the NYC to CA journey.
- Railroad ticket price from Chicago, 1868Newspaper ad shows reduced fares: $19 to Philadelphia; $20 to New York City; $23 to Boston.
- New York City to Tennessee - Route and rates, 1868"It has been agreed to transport immigrants at the rate of two cents per mile..." in Tennessee hand-book and immigrant's guide (source), p. 151.
Note: See also the "MULTIPLE" tab (above) for additional railroad fares.
- Stage coach fare in western states, 1869Includes CA, NV, UT, AZ, OR, ID, WA, MT, etc. Numerous stage coach lines, routes and fares are listed on pages 44-92 of Bancroft's guide for travelers by railway, stage and steam navigation in the Pacific states (source).
- Stagecoach fares in western states, Summer 1865Overland Stage fares from Atchison Kansas to Denver was $175; to Salt Lake was $350; and to Nevada, California, Montana or Idaho was $500. Source: Across the continent by Samuel Bowles, pp. 53-54.
Stagecoaches were a rough ride, cramped, dusty and crowded - Stagecoach fares from OR and CA, 1862Fare from Sacramento to St. Joseph MO was $155. Also shows fares between towns in CA and OR. Source: McCormick's Oregon and California Almanac.
Note: See also the "MULTIPLE" tab (above) for additional stagecoach fares.
- Costs to get around Boston, 1862-1866Boston guidebook lists rates to ride in hired carriages, as well as baggage allowance, 1864-1866. Source: The Stranger's new guide through Boston and vicinity..., published 1866. Russell's horse railroad guide for Boston and vicinity (May 1862) lists routes and fares as well.
- Missouri River - St. Louis to Ft. Benton, 1866$200 paid for a stateroom with board. Source: Great West, p. 53.
- New York to California - Steamship fare, 1865The Pacific Steamship Company offered first class fare for $350; second class for $250 and steerage for $125. Source: Across the continent: a stage ride over the plains... by Samuel Bowles, p. 388.
- New York to England - Steamship fare, 1865Roundtrip from NYC to England was $260 by the Cunard steamship line, or $150 by the New York & Philadelphia Steam-ship company. Source: American travellers' guides, p. xxi.
- Ocean steamship fares, 1865Shows fares between San Francisco and England, Canada, Panama, Mexico, etc. in the Pacific Ocean section. Includes a section on fares to cross the Atlantic Ocean or travel between Caribbean islands. Source: Guidebook of the Pacific.
River boat, 1860- Transportation prices from New York, 1865Ticket prices by rail from NY to Chicago or St. Louis. Steamship ticket prices from NY to California. Stage coach ticket prices from Kansas to Denver, Salt Lake City, Idaho, Montana or California. Source: Shelley's guide (1865).
- Transportation rates in western states, 1865Travel guide lists fares of steamship, steamboat, railway and stage coach travel, on or connecting with the Pacific coast, including California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, as well as Canada, Panama, Mexico and more.
- San Francisco fares to other cities and countries, 1869Source: Bancroft's guide for travelers by railway, stage, and steam navigation in the Pacific states, pp. 7-17.
Hotel rates found advertised in newspapers and travel guides.
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1860
A Philadelphia hotel, $1.50 per day- Philadelphia
- Golden Fleece Hotel, $1 per day
- Jones' Hotel, $1.50 per day
- St. Louis, $1 per day at William's Hotel
- Philadelphia
- 1861
- Buffalo NY, $1 to $1.50 per day
- Philadelphia
- Revere House and National Hotel, $1.25 per day
- Jone's Hotel, $1.50 per day
- 1862
- Philadelphia, $1.25 per day
- Weston, VA, $1.50 per day
- 1863
- Resort near Harrisburg PA, $2 per day
- 1864
- Dubuque IA, $1.25 per day
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1867
Chicago "Brigg's House" hotel- New Orleans, $2 per day
- Mattawan MI, $1.50 per day
- Gorham NH, $1 to $2.50 per day
- Schoharie Station NY, $2 per day
- Rochester NY, $3 per day
- San Francisco
- Atlantic House, $1 per day
- American Exchange, $1.50 to $2 per day
- Scranton PA, $2 per day
- 1868
- Memphis, $2.50 per day
- Atlantic City NJ, $3.50 per day
- Cape Island NJ, $4 per day
- Catskill Mountain resort in NY, $4.50 per day
Food prices by state, 1860-1869
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Retail prices before and after the Civil War - New England statesPrices of provisions, groceries, dry goods, house rent, etc. States included: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, DE. Compares 1860-61 to 1867-68. Source: Report from the Special Commissioner of the Revenue, U.S. Dept of Treasury.
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Food prices by region, state and territory - 1869Average retail prices of food and more on pages 228-230. Prices by state/territory on pp. 226-227. Source: Special Report on Immigration, U.S. Statistics Bureau.
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Retail food prices by town, 1850s-1870sShows prices from the 1850s-1870s in about 65 towns for flour, meats, fish, butter, beans, eggs, milk and other foods, pp. 44-90. This 1890 U.S. Census publication includes a methodology section.
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Food prices in east coast cities, 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.
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Provision and grocery prices - Alabama, 1867-1874Shows the average retail price of flour, meat, cheese, sugar, coffee, tea, etc. Row labels on p. 64. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
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Grocery and provision prices - Arkansas, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
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Grocery and provision prices - Arizona, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 72. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
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Prices - San Francisco, 1865Source: Congressional testimony. See text from original full page in the Feb 14, 1865 Congressional Globe, p. 804.
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Prices - San Francisco, 1865Source: Memoir Across the continent: a stage ride over the plains..., pp. 341-342.
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Food and alcohol prices - San Francisco, 1863Source: Transactions of the California Agricultural Society, p. 269.
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Grocery and provision prices - California, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 70. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
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Colorado - Retail food prices, 1860Average prices for food and commodities. Source: Colorado BLS, 4th Bien. rpt., pp. 175-179.
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Food prices - Denver, 1865Source: Great West by Edward Hall (1866), p. 72.
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Prices - Colorado, 1865With detail on Denver prices, p. 22. Source: Across the continent by Samuel Bowles.
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Grocery and provision prices - Colorado, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 72. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
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Grocery and provision prices - Connecticut, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 60. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Connecticut towns, 1860sShows prices in Collinsville, Danielsonville, Jewett City, New Haven, Plainville, Waterbury, Wauregan. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Retail food prices - Connecticut towns, 1851-1880The Connecticut section extends from pp. 44-51. There is a methodology section. Source: 1890 U.S. Census publication.
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Grocery and provision prices - Dakota Territory, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
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Grocery and provision prices - Delaware, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 62. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Jacksonville FL, 1866-1880Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Retail food prices - Jacksonville FL, 1866-1880Shows prices of flour, meats, dairy products, rice, beans, potatoes and more. This 1890 U.S. Census publication includes a methodology section.
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Grocery and provision prices - Georgia, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 64. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
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Grocery and provision prices - Iowa, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 68. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Cedar Rapids IA, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Idaho, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
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Grocery and provision prices - Illinois, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 68. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
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Retail food prices - Illinois, 1850s-1870sIncludes flour, meats, dairy products, beans, etc. on pp. 52-54. This 1890 U.S. Census publication includes a methodology section.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Illinois towns, 1860sShows prices in Belleville, Jacksonville and Rock Island. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grain prices - McLean County Illinois, 1831-1860Includes corn, oats, and wheat. Source: Illinois State Historical Library Transactions.
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Grocery and provision prices - Indiana, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Lawrenceburg IN, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Kansas, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 70.
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Grocery and provision prices - Kentucky, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 66. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 67.
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Farm products prices - Richmond KY, 1840-1860Shows prices of corn, wheat, butter, eggs, and more. Theses pages also show the wages of farm hands. Source: Kentucky Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics report, pp. 255-256.
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Grocery and provision prices - Louisiana, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
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Massachusetts - Prices of food and provisions, 1860Shows prices for food and more. Source: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 28th Annual Report, p. 22.
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Grocery and provision prices - Massachusetts, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 60. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
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Prices in Boston, 1860 & 1881Shows prices of groceries, provisions, fuel, dry goods, boots and rent & board. Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics 2nd annual report, p. 247.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Boston and Springfield MA, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Boston - Food prices, 1840-1892Prices paid by the U.S. Navy for food and provisions. Source: Serial Set #3074 pt. 4, pp. 1584-1588.
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Grocery and provision prices - Maryland, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 62. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Baltimore, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Maine, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
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Farm products prices - Maine, 1865Prices of potatoes, beans, and other farm products in North Penobscot, Maine following the end of the Civil War. Source: Abstracts of returns from the agricultural societies of Maine (1865), p. 27.
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Grocery and provision prices - Michigan, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
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Grocery and provision prices - Minnesota, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 68. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
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Grocery and provision prices - Missouri, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 66; Missouri data on p. 67. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Missouri, 1860sShows prices in Pilot Knob and St. Louis. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Mississippi, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 64. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
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Grocery and provision prices - Montana, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
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Retail prices - Montana, 1860Source: Red Wing Sentinel, Jan 7, 1860. List continues here.
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Virginia City, Montana - Wholesale prices, 1865Explanation says that retail prices typically averaged 10% above wholesale prices. See full list on page 3, column 3 of the Virginia City Montana Post newspaper dated June 17, 1865.
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Grocery and provision prices - North Carolina, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
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Grocery and provision prices - Nebraska, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 70.
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Grocery and provision prices - New Hampshire, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
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Food prices - New Jersey, 1858-1878Shows the average retail prices for butter, beef, sugar, and more. Source: New Jersey Bureau of Statistics of Labor and Industries, 1st annual report, p. 278.
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Grocery and provision prices - New Jersey, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Jersey City, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - New Mexico, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 72. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
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Grocery and provision prices - Nevada, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 70. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
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Food prices and cost of living for miners - Nevada, 1867Also tells miner's wages and cost for boarding. Source: Report of J. Ross Browne on the mineral resources of the states, 1868, p. 384.
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Food prices - Nevada, 1865Price of vegetables, dairy products, eggs, chickens, etc. Source: Great West, p. 57.
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Food budget and costs for one week - NYC, July 1864Itemizes minimum food purchases necessary to support a family of six (four children, two adults) for one week. Source: New York "The Printer," July 1864, p. 102.
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Grocery and provision prices - New York, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
In 1864, a poor NYC family of six might spend $10/week on food -
Food and provision prices in New York, 1825-1882Shows lowest and highest prices of 25 foods and provisions in NYC over 56 years between 1825-1882. Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor 2nd annual report, pp. 248-250.
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New York City - Food prices, 1840-1892Prices paid by the U.S. Navy. Source: Serial Set #3074 pt. 4, pp. 1584-1588.
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New York market - Wholesale prices of staple items, 1860-1863Shows monthly prices for the 1860s on pp. 354-361, and average annual prices 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.
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Milk, delivered - NYC price, 1861The retail price for milk delivery was 6 cents per quart in NYC. This article in a U.S. Dept of Agriculture report explains how fresh milk could get from farm to customer without refrigeration.
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Beer and ale sold by the glass in NYC - Prices pre-1861According to this source, “Previous to the war ...the price per glass of ale or beer, containing fully one-third more than the glasses in use [in 1870] was six cents." Source: One Hundred Years of Brewing, page 230, column 1.
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Ohio prices, 1860-1862Shows price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and more. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual report (1863), p. 621.
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Ohio food prices by city, 1860sPrices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 806-809. Prices in Columbus are on pages 821-823. Prices in Cleveland are on pp. 833-836. All are part of a longer table that shows annual price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th Annual Report.
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Grocery and provision prices - Ohio, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Ohio towns, 1860sShows prices in Alliance, Canton, Columbus, Hamilton, Ravenna, Springfield and Zanesville. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Oregon, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 70. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
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Grocery and provision prices - Pennsylvania, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Pennsylvania, 1860sShows prices in Norristown, Philadelphia and Sharon. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Rhode Island, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 60. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
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Grocery and provision prices - South Carolina, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
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Grocery and provision prices - Tennessee, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 66. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 67.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - Nashville, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
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Grocery and provision prices - Texas, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
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Prices - Utah, 1865Source: Across the continent: a stage ride over the plains... by Samuel Bowles, pp. 101-102.
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Virginia - Prices of food and supplies, 1863-1864A price list prepared by the Confederate military authorities declared the price they would pay in Virginia for food, supplies, animals and other materials needed for the war. The list was to be in effect only for the months of December 1863 and January 1864. It listed prices for bacon, beans, potatoes, coffee, whiskey, molasses, salt and other food items; soap, candles, cloth by the yard, leather, army shoes, wool socks, tent cloths, railroad iron and mules. The price of a mule suitable for pulling a wagon was $300. A horse was $350.
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Prices paid by soldiers for food and supplies - Richmond VA, 1865Sutler's prices for various foods, tobacco, candles, boots, shirts and more. Source: Richmond Whig newspaper, Apr 13, 1865.
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Grocery and provision prices - Virginia, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
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Food prices - Alexandria, 1863Source: advertisement in Alexandria Gazette, Jan 29, 1863.
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Norfolk VA - Food prices, 1840-1892Prices paid by the U.S. Navy for food and provisions. Source: Serial Set #3074 pt. 4, pp. 1584-1588.
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Grocery and provision prices - Vermont, 1867 and 1869Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
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Grocery and provision prices - Wisconsin, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 68. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
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Grocery and provision prices - West Virginia, 1867 and 1869Row labels on p. 62. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
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Coffee, tea and sugar prices - New Cumberland WV, 1860sAlso includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.
Housing, farm and land prices, 1860-1869
This 1866 cottage could be fully completed
for $1,200 in New York, or for $400 to $500
further west. Floor plans in:
Woodward's cottages and farm houses,
published 1867, pp. 18-19.
- Average value of farm land and buildings per acre, 1860Breakouts by U.S. region. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
- Tenements - Monthly rent by region and state, 1869Shows average rent for 4-room or 6-room tenements. Data by state is on p. 228-229. Source: U.S. Bureau of Statistics Special report on immigration, p. 230.
- Estimated cost to build various houses, 1866This booklet outlines the various designs and costs to built homes in the United States. It also details instuctions for their construction and for other structures like barns, animal housing, churches, schools, and outbuildings. Source: The House, a Manual of Rural Architecture
- Homestead Act of 1862 - Land at $1.25 per acreHomesteaders could purchase up to 160 acres of unimproved, surveyed land in any of 22 states for $1.25/acre plus commissions and fees.
Alabama
- Land prices and farm rent in Alabama, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate catalog listings for Alabama, 1866Brief descriptions and advertised prices for dwelling houses, land, plantations, etc. in Alabama. (source)
- Alabama farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farmland and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Alabama, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
Arkansas
- Land prices and farm rent in Arkansas, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate catalog listings for Arkansas, 1866Catalog provides brief description and asking prices for land and plantations in Arkansas, 1866. (source)
- Arkansas farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farmland and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Arkansas, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
Arizona Territory
- Land prices and farm rent in Arizona Territory, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Tenement rent - Arizona, 1867-1869Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
California
- Land prices and farm rent in California, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- California farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - California, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
Colorado
- Land prices and farm rent in Colorado, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Land price, commissions and fees under the Homestead ActSource: Colorado Territorial Board of Immigration Statement of Facts (1872), pp. 28-29.
- Tenement rent - Colorado, 1867-1869Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
Connecticut
- Tenement rent - Connecticut, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Boarding house rates by city, 1851-1880Boarding house rates (by the week) in selected cities in Jewett City and Wauregan. See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Connecticut farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1850-1867Shows the price of land by acre in NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT, RI, MA over an 17 year period. These prices come from estimates by the U.S. Dept of Agriculture. Source: Geology of New Jersey, page ix.
Dakota
- Land prices and farm rent in Dakota, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Tenement rent - Dakota, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
District of Columbia
- Washington DC houses for sale and rent, 1865Classified ads in the Washington Evening Star newspaper sometimes list prices. See additional issues for further examples.
Delaware
- House rents in Wilmington, Delaware, 1862The Wilmington newspaper listed houses for rent along with location and material type (brick or frame). Rents quoted appear to be for a full year's occupancy. Check additional issues of this newspaper for more house rental columns.
- Delaware farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Delaware, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
Florida
- Land prices and farm rent in Florida, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Florida farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Florida, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
Georgia
- Land prices and farm rent in Georgia, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate catalog listings for Georgia, 1866Catalog briefly describes timber land and plantations for sale, with asking prices. (source), Georgia begins at the bottom of page 6.
- Georgia farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Georgia, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
Iowa
- Tenement rent - Iowa, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
- Boarding house rates - Cedar Rapids, 1851-1880See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices and farm rent in Iowa, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Prairie land prices in Iowa, 1866Real estate catalog briefly describes land for sale, with asking prices. (source)
- Iowa farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
Idaho
- Land prices and farm rent in Idaho, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Tenement rent - Idaho, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
Illinois
- Tenement rent - Illinois, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
- Rent in Chicago, 1869Advertisement lists street addresses, # of rooms and monthly rent. Source: Chronicle, Jan 28, 1869, p. 44, col.2.
- Boarding house rates by city, 1851-1880Rates by the week in Belleville, Bloomington and Rock Island. See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices and farm rent in Illinois, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Illinois farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Central Illinois land price, 1866Advertisement shows land being sold to settlers by the Central Illinois Railroad for $7/acre and up. Source: Chicago: Strangers' and tourists' guide.
Indiana
- Tenement rent - Indiana, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
- Boarding house rates by city, 1851-1880Rates by the week in Aurora, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Lawrenceburg. See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices and farm rent in Indiana, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Indiana farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
Kansas
- Prairie land price in Kansas, 1866Real estate catalog lists prairie land in Kansas for $2.50 an acre. (source)
- Tenement rent - Kansas, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 70.
Kentucky
- Tenement rent - Kentucky, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 67.
- Boarding house rates - Louisville, 1851-1880See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices - Kentucky, 1867-68Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
- Land prices and farm rent - Kentucky, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Farm value by county - Kentucky, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Real estate catalog prices in Kentucky, 1866Catalog shows prices for coal mines and timber land in Kentucky. (source)
Louisiana
- Advertised house and land prices in Louisiana, 1866Real estate catalog briefly describes and lists asking prices for sugar plantations cotton plantations and timber land in Louisiana. It also lists stores, lots and houses for sale in New Orleans and Shreveport, with addresses. (source)
- Land prices and farm rent in Louisiana, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Louisiana farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Louisiana, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
Maryland
- Land prices in Maryland by county, 1865Document is arranged by counties in short sections. Find the price of various qualities of land in the description under each county. For example, see Worcester County, Somerset County, Dorchester County, Caroline County, Talbot County, Queen Anne's County, Kent County, and all the other counties by scrolling forward in the book or using the "Search in this text" box.
- Land prices and farm rent in Maryland, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate catalog listings for Maryland, 1866Houses, farms and business property are briefly described with asking prices. (source)
- Maryland farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Maryland, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
Massachusetts
- Rents for tenements in Massachusetts, 1860Shows monthly rental rates for 4-room and 6-room tenements. Source: MA Bureau of Labor Statistics 28th Annual Report, p. 23.
- Massachusetts farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a USDA report.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1850-1867Shows price of land by acre in Massachusetts and other sates over an 17 year period. Source: Geology of New Jersey, p. ix, quoting USDA data.
- Tenement rent - Massachusetts, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
Maine
- Maine farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Maine, 1867 and 1869Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
Michigan
- Land prices and farm rent in Michigan, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Michigan farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Michigan, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
Missouri
- House rents in Missouri, 1851-1880Shows house rents in St. Louis back to 1851, and in Pilot Knob (Cooper County) back to 1858. This table spans pages 104-107 in the book and 1860s rent data falls on pages 105 and 107. Source: U.S. Census Bureau report.
- Tenement rent - Missouri, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 67.
- Boarding house rates - Pilot Knob, 1851-1880See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices in Missouri by county, 1865In addition to telling the price range for land (improved and unimproved), each county also reported whether or not it still had government land available through the Homestead Act at low prices ($1.25 or $2.50 per acre). Reported by the Missouri State Board of Immigration.
- Land prices and farm rent in Missouri, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Prairie land in Barton County, MO - Price, 1866Real estate catalog describes land and shows asking price. (source)
- Missouri farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
Minnesota
- Land prices and farm rent in Minnesota, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Minnesota farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Minnesota, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
Montana Territory
- Land prices and farm rent in Montana Territory, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Tenement rent - Montana, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 72.
Mississippi
- Land price - Mississippi, 1867-68Gives average price per acre for counties including Hinds, Madison, Washington, Yazoo, De Soto, and Pike.
- Land prices and farm rent in Mississippi, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Cotton plantations for sale in Mississippi, 1866Real estate catalog briefly describes cotton plantations and timber land, with asking prices. (source)
- Mississippi farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Mississippi, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 65.
North Carolina
- Land prices and farm rent in North Carolina, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- North Carolina farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Real estate catalog listings in North Carolina, 1866Catalog briefly describes timber land and a plantation for sale, with asking price. (source)
- Tenement rent - North Carolina, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
Nebraska
- Land prices and farm rent in Nebraska, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate prices and financing in Nebraska, 1850s-1870sThe chapter "Pioneer finance" in the book The Sod-house frontier, 1854-1890: a social history of the northern plains... published 1937 tells about currency problems that led to fraud in the real estate industry.
- Tenement rent - Nebraska, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 70.
New Hampshire
- New Hampshire farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - New Hampshire, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
New Jersey
- New Jersey farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1850-1867Shows the price of land by acre in NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT, RI, MA over an 17 year period. Prices sourced from U.S. Dept of Agriculture. Source: Geology of New Jersey, pg. ix
- Tenement rent - New Jersey, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
New Mexico Territory
- Land prices in New Mexico Territory, 1869-1870Land was generally $5-15 per acre. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870.
- New Mexico farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - New Mexico, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 73.
Nevada
- Price of land - Nevada, 1869-1870Land was generally $1.25 to $10 per acre. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Farm land average value - Nevada, 1860Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Nevada, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
- House rent - Nevada, 1865Houses for small families rented for $35 to $70 per month. Source: Great West, p. 57.
New York
- House designs with estimated cost to build, ca. 1867Provides drawings of home exteriors, floor plans, descriptions and estimated costs to build in the New York suburbs. Source: Woodward's Cottages and Farm Houses, published 1867.
- "Low-priced cottage" at the estimated building cost of $600-$1200
- Farm cottage. "...In the immediate vicinity of New York, this cottage could be built for $500 or even less. It might possibly be built now for $1200."
- Parsonage house at the estimated building cost of $5000
- Cottage "...of moderate pretensions ... can be erected at the present time (April 1868) in the suburbs of New York for $1,500 to $1,800."
- French roof cottage at the estimated building cost of $3800
- Gothic cottage at the estimated building cost of $4500
- Real estate sales and leases - New York Co. and Kings Co., late 1860sThis weekly publication listed every property sale, including location and selling price. Also showed amounts for property leases. Scroll forward to see more issues as this was a regular feature in each issue. Source: Real estate record and builders' guide.
- Real estate catalog listings in New York, 1866Real estate catalog describes a Brooklyn house for sale for $8000 and a 50-acre farm on Long Island for $5000. (source)
- NYC area homes for sale, Sep 1865Asking prices are sometimes included with descriptions of homes for sale in the classified ad sections of the New York Herald newspaper.
- New York farm value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Prices of building materials and construction labor in New York, 1869Woodward's home plan book includes images of home designs, along with estimated cost to build in the list of plates.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1850-1867Shows the price of land by acre in NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT, RI, MA over an 17 year period. These prices come from estimates by the USDA. Source: Geology of New Jersey, pg. ix
- Tenement rent - New York, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
Ohio
- Tenement rent - Ohio, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 68.
- Boarding house rates by city - Ohio, 1851-1880Boarding house rates (by the week) in Alliance, Canton, Cincinnati, Springfield and Zanesville. See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
- Land prices and farm rent in Ohio, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Ohio farm real estate value by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Real estate catalog listings in Ohio, 1866Catalog briefly describes properties for sale, with asking price. (source)
Oregon
- Land prices and farm rent in Oregon, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Oregon farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Oregon, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 71.
Pennsylvania
- Tenement rent - Pennsylvania, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements, generally occupied by working class families employed in manufacturing. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 62.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sThe boarding house rate sometimes included candles for light, but seldom washing. Fuel for heat cost extra. Source: 500 employments adapted to women (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Boarding house rates, 1851-1880Boarding house rates (by the week) in Philadelphia and Sharon. See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
Land prices
- Land prices and farm rent in Pennsylvania, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Pennsylvania farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Timber land prices in Pennsylvania, 1866Real estate catalog briefly describes timber land for sale, with asking prices. (source)
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1860 and 1867Shows USDA estimates for the price of land by acre in NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT, RI and MA. Source: Geology of New Jersey (1868), p. ix.
- Land prices - Pennsylvania, 1866In 1866, vacant and unimproved land was priced at $26.66 for 100 acres. Source: Pennsylvania Surveyor General annual report for 1866, p. 14.
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Land prices - Northeast US, 1850-1867Shows the price of land by acre in NJ, NY, PA, DE, CT, RI, MA over an 17 year period. Prices sources from U.S. Dept of Agriculture. Source: Geology of New Jersey, pg. ix
- Tenement rent - Rhode Island, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 61.
South Carolina
- Real estate catalog listings in South Carolina, 1866Catalog shows cotton plantations and rice plantations for sale as well as small farms, houses, town lots, range land, timber land and more. (source)
- Land prices and farm rent in South Carolina, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- South Carolina farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - South Carolina, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
Tennessee
- Land prices in Tennessee by county, 1867
- Tennessee land prices, 1867-68Source: Monthly Report of the USDA, March 1868, p. 122.
- Land prices and farm rent in Tennessee, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. Source: U.S. Bureau of Statistics.
- Tennessee farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Real estate catalog listings in Tennessee, 1866Catalog briefly describes farm land, timber land and some plantations for sale in Tennessee, along with asking prices. (source)
- Tenement rent - Tennessee, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 67.
Black residents' home values
- Home values of Black residents in Memphis, 1866During the Memphis riots of 1866, many Black person's homes were burned and destroyed along with their possessions. Through affidavits collected by the Freedmen's Bureau, victims’ financial losses were detailed, sometimes listing home values separately. For example, Black homeowner Henry Perkins stated that they burned his house, for which he’d paid $300 just a few weeks before (p. 354). Source: Memphis Riots and Massacres (House Report no. 101, 39th congress, 1st session)
Texas
- Texas - Price of Land, 1867-68Gives price range, per acre, for land in Hopkins, Ellis, Navarro, Dallas, Hardin, Cherokee, Houston, Trinity, Falls, McLennan, Bell, Williamson, Washington, De Witt, Goliad, and Cameron counties.
- Land prices and farm rent in Texas, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
This Texas dwelling was built in 1867 near Pilot Point. Photo taken in 1885.
Source: University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, Special Collections.
- Texas farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Texas, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 66.
Utah
- Utah farm real estate values, 1850-1982Utah farm land and buildings averaged $15 per acre in 1860. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
Virginia
- Land prices and farm rent in Virginia, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Real estate catalog listings in Virginia, 1866Catalog briefly describes farms, land and mines for sale in Virginia, along with asking prices. (source)
- Virginia farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Tenement rent - Virginia, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 64.
Vermont
- Vermont farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Boarding house rates - Prices for female lodgers, 1860sLighting was sometimes included in the boarding house rate. Washing was seldom included. Fuel (for heat) was never included. Source: 500 employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each (pub. 1868), p. 488.
- Tenement rent - Vermont, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 60.
Washington Territory
- Land prices and farm rent in Washington Territory, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Washington Territory farm real estate values, 1850-1982Washington Territory farm land and buildings averaged $6 per acre in 1860. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
Wisconsin
- Land prices and farm rent in Wisconsin, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Wisconsin farm real estate values by county, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Real estate listings in Wisconsin, 1866Catalog briefly describes land for sale, along with asking price. (source)
- Tenement rent - Wisconsin, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 69.
West Virginia
- West Virginia - Prices of Land, 1866Source: Monthly Reports of the USDA, March 1868, p. 132.
- Land prices by county in West Virginia, late 1860sPrices for improved and unimproved land. Also describes typical terms of purchase. Source: West Virginia handbook and immigrant's guide, pp. 173-190.
- Land prices and farm rent in West Virginia, 1869-1870Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. Data collected in the winter of 1869-1870. This U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county.
- Farm real estate values by county in West Virginia, 1850-1982Shows average value of farm land and buildings by the acre. See explanation for data in this source, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Timber land prices in West Virginia, 1866Real estate catalog briefly describes land for sale, along with asking prices. (source)
- Tenement rent - West Virginia, 1867-1874Shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements. These dwellings would generally be occupied by working class families in the manufacturing industry. Source: Labor in America, U.S. Bureau of Statistics, p. 63.
- Boarding house rates - New Cumberland WV, 1851-1880See also a description of boarding houses in this 1865 source, Three years among the working classes in the United States, pp. 6-9.
More prices in the US, 1860-1869
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Prices of farm implements, machinery and tools, 1860Prices of farm implements such as plows and cultivators, carts, engines, tools, equipment and supplies. Tables extend from page 14-28 in this source.
Cookstove equipped with water tank and warming closet, $25 -
Cook stove, heat radiator and furnace prices - 1868Commercial catalog shows prices for coal-burning parlor furnaces, heat radiators, and cook stoves. Retail stores could purchase in quantity at a 30% discount off published suggested retail prices.
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Sewing machines -- SEE "Clothing" tab above
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Men's boot prices by city/town, 1850s-1870sRetail price of men's heavy boots in U.S. Census publication dated 1886, pp. 92-93.
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Fabric prices by city/town, 1850s-1870sShows prices for shirtings, sheetings, tickings, cotton flannel, prints, satinets and more.
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Clothing and footwear prices paid by U.S. War Dept., 1840-1891Average prices paid for shirts, jackets, coats, trousers, boots, shoes, hats, caps, mittens, underwear and more. Source: Serial Set #3074 pt. 4, pp. 1596-1599.
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Sewing machines for home use - Prices, 1860sMany companies were producing sewing machines in the 1860s; see market share for the year 1867. Click "more..." for prices:
Most sewing machines
cost $25 to $50 -
Fabric prices - NJ, 1858-1878Average retail prices of denim, flannel, gingham and more. Source: New Jersey Bureau of Statistics of Labor & Industries 1st report, p. 278.
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Cotton fabric prices - New York City, 1847-1886Source: Ohio Secretary of State 1887 annual report, p. 751.
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Clothing and boot prices - Montana, 1860Source: newspaper advertisement in the Red Wing Sentinel, Jan 7, 1860.
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Fabric prices - Massachusetts, 1860Source: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 28th Annual report, pp. 22-23.
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Prices of cows, calves, sheep, lambs and hogs, 1860-1863Shows annual average prices per head for 1860, 1861, 1862 and 1863. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Farm animal prices in western states, 1867Shows the average price per head for horses, mules, cattle & oxen, cows, sheep and hogs in the states of CA, OR, NV, WA, Dakota and NM.
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Farm animal prices by state, 1868Shows prices for horses and mules, oxen and milk cows, and sheep and hogs. Source: Monthly Report of the USDA, March 1868, pp. 135-137.
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Farm animal prices by state and county - 1869-1870Prices for oxen, horses, mules, milk cows, sheep and hogs appear at the the end of each state's section. Source: 1871 U.S. Bureau of Statistics. Click "more" for direct links to each state, then scroll forward several pages to see the animal prices.
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Horses, mules and farm animals - Average prices, 1867-1920Shows average values expressed as price per head. Source: 1919 USDA Yearbook.
- Horses and mules (p. 653)
- Milk cows and other cattle (p. 658)
- Sheep (p. 668)
- Swine (p. 675)
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Horse and mule prices in Virginia, 1863-1864A price list prepared by the Confederate military authorities declared the price they would pay in Virginia for food, supplies, animals and other materials needed for the war. The list was to be in effect only for the months of December 1863 and January 1864. The price of a mule suitable for pulling a wagon was $300. A horse was $350.
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Hog prices in Ohio, 1830-1862Table shows the price of hogs per the 100 pounds for each of these years: 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860, 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual Report (1863).
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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
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Postal rates in U.S., 1792-1863Price to mail a domestic letter. Not included are postage rates for ship and steamboat letters and "drop letters" (for local delivery), which were assigned different rates. Source: USPS.
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Postal rates in U.S., 1863-presentChart shows postal rates for mailing a domestic letter. Source: Historian of the USPS.
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Postal rates in Confederate states, April 1865Source: Winnsboro South Carolina Tri-weekly News, April 20, 1865.
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Cost to send a letter by Pony Express, 1860-1861The cost to send a letter on the Pony Express was $5.00 in gold for each half ounce, according to Alexander Majors' memoir.
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Cost to mail a letter from US to foreign countries, 1865Source: Guidebook of the Pacific..., p. 170.
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Telegraph rate - Missouri, 1860The cost to send a telegram was discussed in Congress on May 22, 1860 (p. 2252, col. 1.)
- St. Louis to Springfield MO -- 70¢ for the first 10 words, and 7¢ for each additional word
- St. Louis to St. Joseph MO -- "Over $1 for a message"
- San Francisco to Genoa, NV -- $2
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Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869This 1869 directory shows prices and subscription rates for newspapers in in the U.S. and territories, in Canada and in North American British colonies. U. S. paper are listed alphabetically by state, then town.
College tuition
- Tuition and expenses for 19 colleges summarized on one page in University Chronicle, Jan 25, 1868, p. 6.
- California: Pacific Female College (Oakland) 1864-1865
- Connecticut: Yale - on-campus housing $1.50 to $5/week (p. 237), or $12.50 to $50 annually (p. 291), and board $4/week (p. 244), 1869
- District of Columbia: Howard University, 1868-1869
- Illinois Normal University, 1864-1865
- Iowa: State University in Iowa City
- 1861-1862
- Preparatory Department (high school) tuition was $6 per term
- Normal School (teacher college) would take two students from each county free; others paid $5 per term
- College tuition was $6 to $8 per term, although two students from each county could receive a full scholarship
- Cost to board with private families in Iowa City, $2 to $2.50 per week
- 1862-63, 1863-64, 1865-66, 1866-67, 1867-68, 1868-69
- Tuition was abolished during these years; students paid a $5 matriculation fee. After 1865, Union veterans with three year's service could attend for free. After 1867, orphans of Iowa soldiers could attend for free. Cost to board with private families rose from $1.50 to $4 per week over the 1860s.
- 1868-1869
- Law School tuition was $30 per term and board was $2 to $4 per week
- 1861-1862
- Missouri: Saint Louis University, 1860 and 1868-1869
- New York state:
- Hobart College (Geneva) 1861-1862
- College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York City), 1869-1870
- Ohio:
- Antioch College, 1860-61, 1865-66, 1866-67
- Kenyon College and Kenyon Grammar School, 1867-1868
Medical school tuition
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Medical colleges in the United States - Fees for the 1861-1862 sessionList of medical colleges with tuition, organized by state. Source: American medical times, pp. 194-212. Click 'more...' for direct links.
Other schools, miscellaneous types
- Louisiana: Academy for Boys in Baton Rouge, 1866
- Massachusetts: Bookkeeping school, ca. 1860-1862
- Virginia: School for Young Ladies in Charlestown, 1866
- 1861
- Nevada -- Haircut 50¢, shave 25¢ (source)
- 1863
- Ohio -- Haircut 15¢, shave 10¢ (source)
- 1865
- Virginia -- Haircut 50¢, shave 25¢ (source)
- 1866
- 1867
- 1868
- 1869
- Women's haircuts in New York
- Most hair dressers charge between 50¢ and $1.50 to cut and dress hair. Special occasions such as a bride's hair could cost $5.00 or more.
FUEL prices
NOTE: A family of six living in New York City would require at least 2 bushels (152 pounds) of coal each week, according to estimates published in July 1864. Source
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Coal prices in New York, 1861-1864Shows the prices of various English coals in New York markets per ton in October 1861 and 1864. Source: NY Documents of the Senate no. 71, 1865 v.3, p. 14.
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Coal and fuel wood prices - Boston, 1860 & 1881Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics, p. 247.
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Retail prices in Massachusetts - 1860Average prices for coal, fuel wood, various sorts of cloth fabrics, and men's boots. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Bulletin vol. 3, no. 18, p. 696.
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Photographs - Cost to have a portrait made, 1862One Boston photographer was advertising portrait services for $3 to $5.
Photography studioImage source -
Photography supplies price catalog, 1862Shows prices in British currency. The 1862 exchange rates (source) were $40 = £, or $1 = 4 shillings, 6 pence.
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New Hampshire prices, 1860sSource: 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature, pp. 48-51.
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Cost to ship soldiers' remains, 1862In the 1860s, the American Express Company was in the business of discreetly shipping valuable goods, jewelry, bank-notes, gold, silver over railroads or other rapid means of conveyance. They would also transport bodies as described in this 1862 publication.
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Fortune telling / psychic reading, 1860sFortune tellers charged between 25¢ and $5.00 for their services.
READING and RECREATION
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Theater and opera in St. Louis, 1867Admission prices for the theater and opera in St. Louis ranged from 25 to 75 cents. Source: Guide Book and Complete Pocket Map of St. Louis.
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Chess figures and playing cards - Retail prices, 1864A December 1864 newspaper ad for a drugstore in Biddeford, Maine shows selected prices.
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Book prices, 1869Each issue of the monthly trade magazine The American bibliopolist includes lists of new publications and sales announcements that show prices of books.
Health and medicine prices, 1860s
- Indiana:
- Knightstown, 1862
- Madison, 1862
- New Castle, 1862
- Sullivan County, 1864 (some accepted goods in lieu of money)
- Kentucky:
- Louisville, 1859-1862
- Henderson County, 1862
- Massachusetts:
- Boston, 1862
- New York:
- Albany, 1866
- New York City, 1860
- Ohio:
- Cincinnati, 1859-1862
- Pennsylvania:
- Alleghany County (fee bill list adopted in 1848)
- Philadelphia, 1864
- Rhode Island:
- Providence, 1869
- Wisconsin:
- Milwaukee, 1868
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Medicine and other drug store item prices, 1867Catalog shows retail prices for cures, tonics, elixirs, antidotes, creams, pills, powders, etc. Non-drug items include hair dye, pomades, soap, tooth powder and condoms.
Pills for headache, 25¢. Source: 1861 newspaper ad -
Homeopathic remedies - Retail price, 1868Cures for epilepsy, rheumatism, neuralgia, menopause and more, as advertised in an Illinois newspaper, April 27, 1868.
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Medicine prices, 1869Retail prices for remedies, pills, tonics, healing herbs and more in the Catalogue of medicines, druggists' sundries, fancy goods... etc., pub. 1869 in New York.
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Opium price (wholesale), 1840-1891The wholesale price more than tripled during the Civil War, from $4.75 per pound in January 1861 to $17.25 in October 1864. Source: 1893 congressional report.
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"Female Pills," 1860sThese products induced miscarriage in pregnant women. Widely advertised in newspapers and sold by mail-order, they were usually priced at $1 per box.
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Artificial eyes - Price, 1863Glass eye makers sold them for $10-$20 each, though physicians might mark them up to patients for $60-$70. Source: The Employments of Women, p. 417.
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Artificial arms, legs, feet, etc. - Government assistance for cost, 1860sCongress appropriated funds to help Union solider amputees obtain prostheses. "The maximum price that will be paid by the United States is: for artificial legs, $75.00; for artificial arms, $50.00... for artificial feet, $50.00." Source: The War Claimant's Guide...1861-1865," pp. 261-262.
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Hospital rates - South Carolina, 1856-1861(?)The Plan of Organization adopted by the Roper Hospital in Charleston, SC in 1856 includes the rate of board per day and per week in public and private wards. Booklet published 1861.
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Dentistry - False teeth prices in Iowa, 1864Advertisement in Cedar Falls Gazette newspaper.
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Cost of dying - Funeral services in New York, early 1860s"Burials are serious matters to the poorer classes of the people. An interment, conducted in what is called a decent manner, costs from 25 to 30 dollars," with more extravagant internments costing $50-$100 or more. Source: Three years among the working classes in the United States during the war, published 1865.
Consumer expenditures, 1860-1869
- Family expenditures in manufacturing towns, 1860 and 1867Shows amount families in New England towns spent on food, provisions and rent, broken out by family size, for up to seven children. The same tables report average weekly wage income by family size. States included: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, DE.
- Minimal budget for 6-person family in NYC, July 1864Itemizes food purchases essential to support a family of 2 adults and 4 children. Also lists cost of fuel and rent for one week. Source: New York "The Printer," July 1864, p. 102.
- Consumer expenditures in Massachusetts and Great Britain, 1875 and 1883Compares average annual family expenditures on food (subsistence), clothing, rent, fuel and other sundry expenses. Average family size and earnings are shown on page 464. Source: Massachusetts BLS 15th annual report, p. 467.
Wholesale prices in the U.S., 1860-1869
The following links to wholesale price sources may be helpful to some researchers.
- Wholesale prices by month in the New York market, 1860-1863Shows prices for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Source: Congressional Serial Set #1186, pp. 354-360.
- Wholesale prices by month in San Francisco, 1863Shows prices for food (pilot bread, coffee, rice, sugar, sardines, etc.) as well as rum, whiskey and wine. Also shows prices for lumber, cement and nails, candles and more. Source: Transactions of the California State Agricultural Society, p.269.
- Wholesale prices in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1861This is a "Prices Current" column from the Shreveport Daily News. It shows the prices for common items such as sugar, coffee, oil, whisky, pork, and potatoes.
Prices in foreign countries, 1860-1869
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Australia (Melbourne only) - Prices, 1873Prices of food products (meat, vegetables, dairy), tobacco, soap, candles, salt, wine, rum, whiskey, brandy, and more. Prices expressed in pounds, shillings and pence. Source: 1873 Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.
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Belgium - Working class family expenses, 1853 and 1867Shows weekly expenses for families of 5 or 6 individuals in Belgium in 1853. Clothing expenses not included. Figures for 1867 are estimated by adding 20% to the 1853 data.
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Salt price - India, 1861-1890Tells how much salt one rupee could buy in the various districts and provinces in India in each year from 1861-1890. The quantity of salt is given in seers. 80 tolahs = 1 seer.
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Food prices - Ireland, 1864-1869Government report shows prices of bread, oats, potatoes and beef at Dublin for each year from 1864-1869.
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Travel fares - Ireland, 1863Source: Falconer's railway, coach, car and steam navigation guide for Ireland. Shows rates to travel both inside Ireland and to other countries.
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Food prices - 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.
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Spain - Price of bread in 1860 compared to 1910Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1265.
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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.
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Bread prices - England, 1847-1880Shows 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 (not a government document). 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.
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Great Britain - Prices as compared to Massachusetts, 1860-1883Source: 16th Ann. Rept. of the Mass. BLS, pp. 244-255.
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Prices and cost of living - England's iron districts, 1867Retail prices of food, clothing, rent and fuel. Source: Chicago Tribune, May 15, 1867.
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Food and candle retail prices - London, 1849-1869Retail prices as recorded by Mr. George Dix, grocer and general dealer, pp. 164-165.
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Food, candles and coal prices at Greenwich Hospital, 1860 and 1865Prices paid by Greenwich Hospital (London) in Wages and earnings of the working classes..., by Leone Levi, pub. 1867.
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Home values and average rent in Great Britain, 1862Source: Mulhall's dictionary of statistics, published 1886, p. 237.
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House construction costs - England, ca. 1864Table for estimating the average cost of London dwelling houses, based on number of rooms, height of rooms, etc. Source: The Gentleman's house...with tables of accommodation and cost, page 392 and following.
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Cotton goods prices - United Kingdom, 1867-1884Shows average annual prices (in cents) of cotton, cotton yarn, and cotton cloth. Source: Quarterly reports of the chief of the Bureau of statistics 1884-85, no. 3.
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Household budgets - England, ca. 1869Shows usual percentage of household budget going for rent, housekeeping, servant's wages, clothing, etc., broken out by total household income. Source: Cassell's household guide, 1869, p. 3.
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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: Wholesale and retail prices in the United Kingdom.
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Travel expenses in Europe and Middle East, 1865Section titled "Skeleton tours" estimates the travel and total costs of suggested tourist itineraries. This is a travel guide to Great Britain and Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Tyrol, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Spain, and Portugal. Source: American travellers' guides.
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Foreign coins - U.S. dollar equivalents, 1866Shows the U.S. dollar value equivalent of pounds, francs, lira, pesos, guilders, rupees and more. Source: U.S. Treasury Department, Statistics of the United States, p. 58.
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Foreign money - British pound equivalents, 1865Lists the value in British pounds for Spanish dollars, doubloons, American eagles, half-eagles and quarter eagles, gold and silver francs, as well as some South American money. Source: Guidebook of the Pacific, p. 52.
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British and French money equivalents, 1860Table shows equivalents based on exchange rates ranging from around 24 to 25 francs per pound. See table in Galignani's Paris Guide for 1860, p. 14.
Analysis and calculators, 1860s
- Nineteenth century wage trends30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
- Calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amountThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the current-day value of historic money in 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.
- Foreign coins - U.S. dollar equivalents, 1866Shows the U.S. dollar value equivalent of pounds, francs, lira, pesos, guilders, rupees and more. Source: U.S. Treasury Department, Statistics of the United States, p. 58.
- "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 Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
Timeline -- Major economic events of the 1860s
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
Ask a Question
Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748
