Prices and Wages by Decade: 1880-1889
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, 1880-1889
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in INDIVIDUAL STATES
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ANALYSIS OF WAGE TRENDS
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COST OF LIVING and CONSUMER EXPENDITURES
PRICES in FOREIGN COUNTRIES
- Farm wages by state - 1880
This table is shown in a section of the book for wages on farms, and includes breakouts for blacksmiths, carpenters, machine makers, wheelwrights and shoemakers. Also breaks out wages for transient and non-transient workers, during harvest or not. - Farm wages by state - 1881
Same breakouts as above but also includes wage data for Indian Territory. - Farm labor wages by state - 1866-1892
Reported with and without board. Data for years: 1866, 1869, 1875, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1892. This book also contains an explanation of labor and wage conditions in the South following the Civil War. - Farm labor - Average wages by state, 1866-1909
Tables 11-13 on pages 29-31 show average wages with and without board. Table 17 shows average wages per day without board, and Table 18 shows the daily wages with board.
Section titled "Extras Received by Laborers" explains the prevalence and value of non-monetary benefits paid to farm laborers, such as the use of a house or dwelling and garden plot, firewood for heat, stable and pasture for the worker's horse or cow, laundry service, occasional use of a buggy or a team for hauling, and one meal per day, pp. 49-52. Starting on page 53, there is discussion of the purchasing power of farm wages over the years. - Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1866-1930
Shows average farm labor wage in Missouri with and without board, during harvest time or at other times. Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture. - Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948
Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions. Data for years: 1818, 1826, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1940, 1948. Read the explanation and historical context for this table. - Farm labor wages - 1866-1922
In one simple table, this source shows the national average for daily and monthly wages of hired farm labor, with board or without, at harvest or at other times. Data available for years 1866, 1869, 1875, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1898, 1899, 1902, and each year from 1910-1922. - Farm wages in Vermont, 1780-1937
Table 26 shows daily and monthly wages with board for each year from 1780-1937. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
- Average wages for occupations (mainly manufacturing) by state - early 1880s
Table extends from pp. 143-167. Average wages paid to children in various occupations by state are listed on pages 168-174. - Manufacturing wages, 1850s-1870s
Published in 1886 as part of the 10th U.S. Census. Also printed in Serial Set Vol. 2150.
- Railroad employees - Average pay by job title and company, 1881
The state of Illinois required all RR companies operating in that state to report average pay given to employees by job title, such as civil engineers, clerks, flagmen, brakemen, passenger conductors, machinists, freight conductors, baggage men, firemen, station agents, telegraph operators, and more. - Railroad employees - Average pay by company - 1880
Provides average monthly wage across all jobs at each railroad company. Some companies represented include Union Pacific; Chicago Burlington & Quincy; Baltimore & Ohio; Philadelphia & Reading, and more.
- Average daily wages for occupations before and after labor strikes, 1881-1886
Hundreds of pages document labor strikes taking place in the US from 1881-1886, showing wages paid before and after the strike. Data is broken out by male and female workers. Tables arranged by state then locality, and by the occupational group on strike. How to use this source -- Each table is horizontal and continues for a total of four book pages. Scroll forward to the third page of each table in order to find "AVERAGE DAILY WAGE" in the column headings. - Wages before strikes, 1887-1894
Annual report of the US Commissioner of Labor lists all strikes in the United States by state, locality and occupation of the strikers. A description field tells the reason for each strike, and in some entries, it will tell the workers' present wage and the increase they wanted. The table also tells whether each strike was successful. Note that each table is horizontal and extends across four book pages.
WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)
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Unskilled occupations - Average wages, 1840-1891Shows average daily wage earnings for laborers, yard hands, watchmen, teamsters, quarrymen, coal-heavers, helpers, unskilled factory operatives, without any geographic breakouts. Source: Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 13 (1905).
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Daily wages by city in the United States and Europe, 1870-1898Lists daily wages in dollars for many occupations including blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, railroad conductors, railroad engineers, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone masons, teamsters, plumbers, and more, in the U.S. cities of Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Richmond, St. Louis, St. Paul and San Francisco. The last column provides an average across all of these cities. Wage data tables for cities in Great Britain, France and Belgium begin on page 683. Source: Bulletin of the United States Department of Labor, no. 18, published September 1898.
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History of Wages in the United States from Colonial times to 1928Extensive tables show average wages paid each year for a variety of occupations, reported by state and sometimes by city, often broken out by sex, in the following industries:
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Steamboat and towboat workers' wages - 1880This link leads to the beginning of a section in the 1880 U.S. Census for Transportation, where steamboat statistics are given by U.S. region (the link above leads to the section on New England states.) Read the section carefully to find average wages - it is provided for only some of the regions. Scroll forward to see additional riverboat regions such as Lower Mississippi, Northern Lakes or Pacific Coast. Much more detailed than overall averages are average wage rates paid to each type of worker on the boats: masters, mates, pilots, watchmen, engineer, stewards, steersmen, carpenters, deck hands, chambermaids, cabin crew, roustabouts and more, by river where the boat traveled, for example see wage rates on the Ohio River and Upper Missouri River
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Congressional salaries, 1789-presentHistorical chart shows that congressmen's salary was $5,000 per year in the 1880s. Source: Congressional Research Service.
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Judicial branch salaries (federal employees), 1884Arranged geographically, this source shows the salaries of federal circuit judges, district judges, supreme court justices, district attorneys, U.S. marshals, court clerks, and more. Source: Register of the Department of Justice and the Judicial Officers of the United States, 1885 ed.
Disabled vets received $2-$24 monthly based on injury -
Military pension rates for veterans and dependents, 1883Shows monthly pension rates as of January 1883. Payments were based in part on the severity of the veteran's disability. Widows and surviving dependent parents and children could receive pensions as well. Confederate veterans were not eligible. Click "More..." for direct links to states.
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Convict labor wages by state, sex and occupation - 1886Compares wage rates for convict labor to that for free labor available near the prisons, by state and by sex. Also tells the average daily hours worked by convicts. Published in the 2nd annual report, U.S. Commissioner of Labor.
Wages in states and cities, 1880-1889
WAGES in STATES and CITIES, 1880s
Click the tabs above for individual states.
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Building trades - Wages in local areas, 1881The trade journal Carpentry and Building shows the wages made by carpenters, masons and painters in various cities and states.
- July 1881, pp. 131-132.
- August 1881, p. 149
- May 1884, p. 99.
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Index of wages reported by bureaus of labor statistics, 1870-1900This is an index to topics covered in all labor statistics bureaus, both state and federal and even some foreign countries. There are ten pages of entries under "Wages" listing wages shown in state and federal reports. Find report abbreviations spelled out here. The strategy for using this source is to identify a report you want to track down and then look for it in Hathi Trust's online digital library. Contact us if you would like assistance with this.
WAGES in CALIFORNIA, 1880s
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California wages by occupation, ca. 1883This chapter in California's first Bureau of Labor Statistics report (covering the years 1883-1884) shows average wages for hundreds of occupations. Tables extend from pages 211-233.
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California wages, 1850s-1902This index to California state government publications shows where one can find wages for various occupations such as teachers (1850s-1880s), railroad employees (1870s-1880s), farm workers (1890s), miners and lumbermen (1902), sailors (1904) and more. If you need assistance tracking down publications listed in this source, do not hesitate to contact us.
WAGES in CONNECTICUT, 1880s
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Average annual earnings by occupation in Connecticut, 1887Table is arranged by industry and then occupation. Source: Connecticut Bureau of Labor Statistics' 4th Annual Report, pp. 48-70. Other sections in this report provide further detail. See especially "Monthly reports of wage earners," starting on p. 99.
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Connecticut (New Haven) - City government employee salaries, 1873-1921This series of Municipal Year Books from New Haven, Connecticut, show salaries for police, firemen, school teachers, principals, building inspectors, clerks and other jobs working for city government.
WAGES in ILLINOIS, 1880s
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Illinois wages, 1850s-1900sBibliography of Illinois state government publications tell which reports show wages for various occupations: farm labor, mill workers, factory workers, teachers, miners, railroad workers, and more. Contact us if you need assistance tracking down any of the listings in the bibliography, concannonm@missouri.edu.
WAGES in KANSAS, 1880s
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Kansas - Wages, 1887-1888This report shows extensive wage data by cities and counties, industries, and broken out by men, women and child laborers. Tables extend for many pages. See manufacturing wages, wages for jobs associated with flour mills and wages for jobs with the railroads, broken out by occupation and by the RR company. In addition, there is an extensive section showing wages for a wide variety of occupations in 14 Kansas towns and cities, along with a detailed report of retail prices and monthly household expenditures on food, rent, fuel, clothing, sickness and other categories.
WAGES in MAINE, 1880s
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Maine wages, early 1880sDaily wages for hundreds of occupations listed.
WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1880s
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Massachusetts (Boston) - Women's wages by occupationWorking Girls of Boston gives women's wages in Boston, in Massachusetts, in other states and (where data is available) in European countries for the time around 1883. Of those in Boston, the average age of these workers was 25. Most were single (89%) and most lived with parents or other family (69%) and their average pay overall was $4.91 per week. Also gives fascinating detail on working conditions for many occupations, see chapter beginning on page 58.
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Massachusetts - Wages by occupation, 1860-1897Shows average weekly wages for 1860, 1872, 1878, 1881 and 1897 for hundreds of detailed occupations. This is an extensive table, scroll forward to see it all. Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 28th annual report.
WAGES in MICHIGAN, 1880s
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Michigan railway employee wages, 1885Wage reports from payroll data of 24 railroads operating in Michigan, furnished by the Bureau of Labor in 1885. Shows wages for railway agents, baggagemen, boiler makers, blacksmiths, brakemen, carpenters, car oilers and inspectors, cashiers, clerks, civil engineers, coal heavers, conductors, dining car waiters and cooks, porters, depot police, railroad engineers for freight and passenger trains, firemen, dispatchers, foremen, mail carriers and many more.
Breakmen in MI made an average of $47.64 per month in 1885.
WAGES in MINNESOTA, 1880s
WAGES in NEW YORK, 1880s
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New York wages by occupation, 1888Remarkably detailed report shows wages for hundreds of industries and occupations in New York City. Some entries indicate the wage was for children (boys or girls) or for women workers. Very occasionally there is an entry for "colored" workers. For example the chapter on Hotels and Restaurants shows wages for each of these (colored bellmen, cleaning women, store-room girls and elevator boys). Use the Table of Contents to find a chapter and then use the "Jump to ... page" box in HathiTrust.
WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1880s
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Pennsylvania wages, 1875-1883Many occupations listed. Tables extend from pages 99-105 in this source.
WAGES in TEXAS, 1880s
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Texas school personnel salaries (white only), 1872-1953Chart shows annual salaries for all school personnel in Texas without breakouts for occupation, years of training, years of experience, etc.
Wages in Foreign Countries, 1880-1889
Wages in AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, 1880s
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Wages in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania - 1880This emigrant's guide provides significant detail on retail prices, wages by occupations, cost to rent houses, and more. Jump to section for Tasmania, New Zealand, western Australia on pages 66-67, Queensland on pages 64-65, south Australia on pages 54-61, Victoria, Sydney Australia on pages 42-46. Includes a currency comparison table for Canandian, English and American money. Emigrant's guide published in London.
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Australia, Melbourne - Wages, 1883 and 1888Wages expressed in pounds, shillings and pence for agricultural laborers, shepherds, masons, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, grooms, gardeners, laundresses, maids, nursemaids, household servants, ocean seamen, watchmakers, jewelers, tinsmiths, ironworkers, plumbers, gasfitters, carriage makers, painters, saddlers, workers on boats, ship carpenters, cabinet makers, coopers, tailors, milliners, dressmakers, boot makers, hatters, carpet salesmen, butchers, bakers, teamsters, tanners, brickmakers, miners, engineers, legal managers in mining industry, and more.
Wages in CANADA, 1880s
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Canada - Ontario wages, early 1880sEmigrant's guide tells wages in the various Canadian provinces. Many prices are provided as well.
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Canada wages and prices, ca. 1885Data on prices and wages in Canada extends from page 1-115 in this U.S. Consular Report published 1885.
Wages in FRANCE, 1880s
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France, Lyons - Wages, 1870 to 1896Lists wages for occupations such as blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone cutters, teamsters, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 22, published May 1899.
Wages in GERMANY, 1880s
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Detailed wages and cost of living in Germany, early 1880sDetailed wages for Germany are reported in this U.S. Consular report, published 1885. The data is printed on pages 195-586.
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Germany - Wages, 1880sData and discussion are provided in the "Wages" entry in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, 10th edition, vol. 33, p. 724-726 (source)
Wages in INDIA, 1880s
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India - Wages by place and occupation, 1873-1890Shows wages in rupees by provinces and districts for every year from 1873-1890 for occupations such as agricultural laborer, mason, carpenter, horse-keeper and blacksmith. Scroll forward or back to see more; this table extends from pages 85-136.
Wages in IRELAND, 1880s
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Wages by occupation and sex in Ireland, ca. 1883Compares wages for male and female farm labor and female domestic service in Ireland as compared to England, Scotland and California, USA. Also compares wages paid in Ireland that that in three American cities (New York City, Chicago and San Francisco) for the building trades: bricklayers, masons, carpenters, gasfitters, painters, plasterers and plumbers.
Wages in ITALY, 1880s
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Italy - Prices and wage earnings by occupation, 1885Shows daily wages for shepherds, lady's maids, soldiers, stone cutters, cooks, tailors, glassmakers, weavers, and more. On the same page, see a table showing retail prices for common items.
Wages in SWEDEN, 1880s
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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.
Wages in the UNITED KINGDOM, 1880s
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United Kingdom - Average wages for laboring classes, 1886 and 1891Tells wages for men, women, boys and girls by occupation on pages 396-403.
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Great Britain - Average wages by occupation, age and sex - 1886 and 1891The tables in this book spread across two pages each. From pages 81-87, there are separate tables for men, women, boys and girls, showing average wages by occupation. Beginning on page 88, see tables divided by occupation and further broken out by worker age and sex. Under the heading Police, there are wages for inspectors, constables and sergeants. Page 102 shows an 1891 wage chart for each of the building trades such as carpenters, masons, plumbers, painters, etc. See title page for this source.
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Great Britain - Wages compared to Massachusetts, 1883The tables extend from pages 208-221. Breaks out wages for men, women and children. Tells average weekly working hours in both places. This is part of a larger section titled "Wages, Prices and Comparative Cost of Living, Massachusetts and Great Britain, 1860-1883." See start page of this section for context.
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British cities - Wages by occupation, 1870-1896Shows wages in London, Manchester and Glasgow for occupations such as plumbers, teamsters, masons, blacksmiths and more. Table spans pages 683-693 of source.
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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.
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Wages and cost of living in England, early 1880sThis 1885 U.S. Consular report provides extremely detailed wage and cost of living data on pages 587-882.
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Scotland - Wages by occupation and sex, ca. 1883Shows wages for men and women farm laborers and for female domestic servants. Scroll forward to page 257 to see wages for 27 additional occupations, including all the building trades plus blacksmiths, bakers, bookbinders, coopers, cutlers, engravers, horse shoers, millwrights, printers, saddlers and harness makers, sail makers, tinsmiths, tailors, brass founders and laborers, porters, etc. Compares wages for the same occupations in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
Sources showing wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES
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Wages by country and occupation, 1870s-1880sShows average wage for occupations listed alphabetically from H-O for each year and each place, whether it be an American state or foreign country. Some countries represented: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Great Britain, Saxony, France, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Bohemia, Moravia, Prussia, Russia, Australia, Argentine Republic, Canada, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, New Zealand.
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Wages and cost of living in European countries, ca. 1885Provides extraordinary detail. Extensive chapter on each country with both numeric tables and description of job conditions, manner of living, social conditions, etc. for men, women and children. Source: United States consular reports.
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Wages by occupation in Europe, ca. 1885Comparative wage table shows the range of daily pay for workers in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, France, England and Belgium. Occupations include shepherds, boot-makers, painters and paper-hangers, bakers, tailors, watch makers, tinsmiths, plumbers, pantaloon-makers, paper-mill hands and about 20 additional occupations. Note that this source is not a government document; researchers are advised to check for corroboration with other historical materials.
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Earnings and expenses of wage earners in Europe, ca. 1885.Source spotlights individual workers and families that might be considered typical; it does not give overall averages. See start pages for the sections on Belgium, England, Germany, and Switzerland.
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Wages in European cities, 1870-1896Lists average daily wages by occupation in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris and Liege (Belgium) for each year from 1870-1896.
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Wages and cost of living around the world, ca. 1885Extensive data on wages in Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Polynesian islands. Source: U.S. Consular report published 1885.
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Relation between wages and food expenditures in 8 countries, mid 1880sShows average earnings in eight countries and what portion of those earnings typically went for food expenditures. All amounts expressed in British pence. Covers Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, USA and Australia. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 464.
Wages, 1880s - Analysis of Trends
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Nineteenth Century Wage Trends30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
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Online 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.
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"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
Prices in the United States, 1880-1889
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Food prices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, ca. 1883Shows the retail prices of bread, milk, eggs, various meats, oatmeal, coffee, sugar, tea and more, compared to prices for the same foods in England. Source: California Bureau of Labor Statistics Biennial Report for 1883-1884.
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Average food prices in Iowa counties, mid 1880sThis source provides a data table for each county. Counties are listed in alphabetical order; scroll forward to see them all.
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Retail prices for foods and other necessities in 48 Ohio towns, 1887Tables list towns in alphabetical order, along with prices for various foods and dry goods sold in each. Foods include flour, milk, meats, tea, sugar, potatoes, etc.; and other items priced include fabrics, soap, coal and more. Tables extend from pages 145-161 in this state government source.
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Food prices in Ohio's major cities, 1880-1889Prices in Cincinnati start on p. 811; prices in Columbus start on p. 826; prices in Cleveland start on p. 838. 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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Prices at a country store in central Pennsylvania, 1880-1890Prices of sugar, rice, tea, coffee, salt, kerosene, shovels, hoes, etc. for each year during the 1880s.
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Groceries, canned foods and price of provisions in Massachusetts, 1881 and 1883Shows average prices for coffee, tea, sugar, flour, dry codfish, molasses, beef, pork, mutton, butter, cheese, potatoes, milk and eggs. Scroll forward to page 452 to see the price of canned foods (or "tinned foods"), including corned beef, deviled ham, Irish stew, mince meat, pig's feet, chicken pate, roast duck, potted anchovies, lobster, clams, oysters, sardines, cockle leekie, mulligatawney, turtle soup, canned vegetables, pickles, ketchup, canned fruits, fruit jams and jellies, honey, quinces, condensed milk, and more.
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Alcoholic beverages - Consumer prices, 1886This section titled "Cost of Alcoholic Beverages to Consumers in the United States" was prepared in the private sector but published as part of the U.S. Treasury Dept's Bureau of Statistics Quarterly Report for 1886-87, pages 391-397. It states that imported wine might cost around $3-4 per gallon, and domestic wine about $2 per gallon at retail. More alcohol prices by the glass and by the gallon are in a chart on page 395.
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Alcohol prices, 1889New York distributor price list for champagne, wine, whiskey, brandy, mineral water and more.
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Sugar prices in New York and San Francisco, 1870-1885Source: Source: Quarterly reports of the chief of the Bureau of Statistics, 1885-86, no. 2.
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Board rates by city for men and women, 1851-1880Cost to regularly take meals at boarding establishments in selected towns in the states of CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MO, NY, OH, PA and WV.
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Taking meals (boarding) in Massachusetts, 1883Shows cost for male and female workers to board in various places in Massachusetts.
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Average restaurant prices in Massachusetts, ca. 1883Three pages of typical breakfast, supper and dinner menu items start on p. 456. Source: Massachusetts Annual Report on the Statistics of Labor, 1884.
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Clothing prices in Massachusetts, 1883Price of boots and shoes are shown on page 445. Detailed clothing prices begin on page 446, showing the price of ready made corsets, ladies' hose, men's collars and cuffs, night shirts, drawers, gloves, handkerchiefs etc. as well as the price of fabrics and trimmings. Source: Massachusetts 15th Annual Report on the Statistics of Labor (1884).
PRICES for CLOTHING in mail order catalogs, 1880s
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Mens' and boy's clothing prices by mail order - 1883Rogers, Peet & Co. commercial catalog shows retail prices for clothing by mail order. Includes drawings for some of the clothes.
Children's blouse suits, $4-$10. Source: 1883 mail order catalog. -
Clothing and home goods prices, 1880Retailer in Boston (Jordan, Marsh & Co.) distributed a mail order catalog showing prices for clothing including corsets and hats, fabric and sewing supplies, blankets and quilts, rugs, toothbrushes, hair brushes, face powder and soap, and colognes such as Bay Rum.
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Sporting goods catalog, 1883Catalog with price list for clothing and shoes used for participating in sports, bicycling, fishing, exercise, dance, etc. See index in back of the book for complete list of contents and page numbers.
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Dry goods and fuel prices in Massachusetts, 1883Price of household linens, quilts, blankets, towels, ticking, etc. are shown on page 445. Soap and starch, coal and firewood prices on page 440. Source: Massachusetts' 15th Annual Report on the Statistics of Labor (1884).
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Furniture catalog, 1880Jordan & Moriarty furniture catalog, New York City. Illustrated catalog shows prices.
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Whale oil, sperm oil, and whalebone prices - 1886Source: Quarterly reports of the chief of the Bureau of statistics 1886-87, no. 2.
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Personal effects - Prices circa 1875-1885The Franklin Jewelry Company's Illustrated Catalog and price list (ca. 1880) is a commercial wholesale catalog. Yet by carefully checking the text, one can often find the suggested retail price for specific items. This company sold cuckoo clocks, silver tea services, autograph books, hand mirrors, perfume bottles, candle sticks, picture frames, etc. Men's razors and steel spectacles are listed on page 75.
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Sporting goods catalog, 1883Catalog with price list for sporting equipment, balls, fishing tackle, games and more. See index in back of the book for complete list of contents and page numbers. See also a catalog for ordering hunting and fishes boats dated 1886.
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Guide to American Trade Catalogs, 1744-1900This reference source lists commercial trade catalogs published in the 18th and 19th centuries. Use it to determine what catalog(s) might have existed for the time period you need, then try finding the catalog in full text online in Hathi Trust.
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New book prices, 1872-1922Each issue of the serial publication Publishers' Weekly shows prices of newly published books, music, and periodicals in both the United States and abroad.
Click 'more...' below for issues from 1880-1889.
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House rent by city, 1851-1880Average monthly rents by number of rooms in selected cities across 15 states. Source: 1890 Census.
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Massachusetts - Detailed cost to rent, 1883State government source describes rental units in detail, including the number of rooms, and tells the cost to rent each on pages 447-449. Also shows the cost for room and board in a boarding house, and table board only on page 451.
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Iowa rent and home values by county and occupation, 1886Survey responses report the amount of monthly rent or the home values for Iowa residents. Survey responses are not averaged. There is a separate table for each county; scroll forward to see them all.
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Average value of farm land and buildings per acre, 1880Average dollar value per acre for farm land (along with any buildings on the land), broken out by U.S. region. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
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Missouri land prices, mid 1880sThis emigrant guide published by the Missouri Pacific Railway company provided an approximate range for land prices for selected counties in southern and central Missouri. Counties described on pages 74-81.
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Texas land prices, early 1880sIn the description of each county, there are price ranges for land, differentiating between "wild land" and cultivated land. Counties are listed in alphabetical order. Source published in late 1882.
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Household utilities (gas) prices - 1885 to 1907Shows prices by city for illumination and fuel gas in households.
Barber services
Getting a shave in a barber shopThe following examples were found in newspapers.
- 1880
- Dakota Territory - Haircut alone 20¢; haircut with shave 25¢, shampoo 15¢ (source)
- 1882
- Texas - Haircut 25¢, shave 10¢ (source)
- 1886
- Nebraska - Barbers at one shop in Omaha earned $10-$14 weekly plus an additional $4-$8 in tips (source)
- 1889
- Oregon - Six shaves for $1 (source)
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Horses, mules and farm animals - Average prices, 1867-1920Shows average values expressed as price per head. Source: USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition.
- Horses and mules (p. 653)
- Milk cows and other cattle (p. 658)
- Sheep (p. 668)
- Swine (p. 675)
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Prices of farm implements, machinery and hand tools, 1860-1900Shows prices of farm tools, carriages and buggies, small engines, cotton gins and more for 1860, 1880, 1890, 1895 and 1900.
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Tool prices at a country store in central Pennsylvania, 1880-1890Prices of farm tools, shovels, hoes, etc. for each year during the 1880s on pages 44a-47a of a Pennsylvania state government report on industrial statistics.
GUN PRICES, 1880s
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Firearms, gun accessories and sporting good prices - 1880sCatalog published in the mid 1880s provides prices for shot guns, rifles, revolvers, ammunition, holsters and other gun accessories as well as supplies for hunting and camping. Source: J. Palmer O'Neil & Co. Illustrated Catalogue.
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Firearms, Winchester - Prices, 1880-1890Shows prices of the Model 1866, Model 1873, Model 1876, the Hotchkiss, Single Shot, Model 1886 and the 1887 shotgun. Source: Winchester: the Gun that Won the West.
PRICES for TRAVEL and TRANSPORTATION, 1880s
VIA RAILWAYS
See tabs above for additional price categories
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Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile.
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Railroad passenger fares by RR company, 1850-1897Average passenger fares in cents per mile. There is no differentiation between classes of travel. Tables extend from pages 65-77. Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
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Railway ticket prices between cities in the U.S., 1880Shows actual prices for travel between cities for three classes of railway travel. Also tells the mileage and how long each trip would take.
- New England - Massachusetts
- Middle states - New York, Pennsylvania, etc.
- Western states - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri
- Southern states - Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc.
- Northern states - Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
- Far western states - Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Oregon, etc.
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Railway fare to Idaho Territory, 1881Shows 1st, 2nd and 3rd class fares from Omaha (similar rates from Kansas City or Leavenworth). Source: Resources and Attractions of Idaho Territory..., p. 82.
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Railway fare to Montana, 1881This source describes the options for traveling by rail to Montana from Kansas, and then by stage coach. See pages 145-150 of this source.
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Pennsylvania Railway System passenger rates, 1888This chart of rates and distances to other stations in Pennsylvania and also to Maryland, DC, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. Sections for some cities include cab fare, see the index for page numbers. Source: The hand-book of the Pennsylvania lines, by L. G. McPherson (1888).
Tip: look for "T'kt fare" in Rand McNally guidesANIMAL-DRAWN TRANSPORTATION, 1880s
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Stage coach fare in western states, 1881Shows fare for travel from Idaho to towns in Oregon, Washington Territory, Nevada and Utah. Source: Resources and Attractions of Idaho Territory..., p. 83.
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Stage coach fare in Montana, 1881This source describes the options for traveling by rail to Montana from Kansas, and then by stage coach. See pages 145-150 of this source.
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Horses and mules - Average price per head, 1867-1920Chart shows prices for farm animals. Source: USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition, p. 653.
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Cab fare and coach fare in Chicago, 1888The price to convey a passenger by cab or carriage was often set through municipal ordinance. This source tells the ordinance for Chicago; contact us at govdocs@missouri.edu if you need assistance finding the rates for other cities.
STEAMSHIP FARES, 1880s
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Steamship fare from Liverpool or Glasgow to America, ca. 1883Emigrant's guide tells the various fares for tickets (saloon, intermediate and steerage) for each of the steamship lines, including Cunard, White Star, Dominion and others. Fares are listed in English currency.
HOTEL and LODGING RATES, 1880s
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Hotel rates by U.S. city, 1884 and 1887Click for 1884 or 1887. This directory of theaters and bookable auditoriums also lists hotels in each city, and gives the hotels' rates. Arranged by states and then cities. For example, in 1887 the entry for Chicago lists rates of the Palmer House Hotel, the Tremont Hotel, the Grand Pacific Hotel and more. In addition, Thompson's Hotel Directory gives room rates and meal rates for hotels in some cities such as Baltimore, Nashville and Waterbury, CT.
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Hotel rates, 1885Arranged alphabetically by city, Thompson's hotel directory and travel guide shows daily rates for many establishments.
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Costs to travel in Europe, 1885The book A Tramp Trip; How to See Europe on Fifty Cents a Day (published 1886) contains anecdotal evidence of prices especially pertaining to travel and tourists. The best way to find prices is to try a keyword search on the word “cents.” This is not a government document; researchers are advised to seek corroborating data in additional sources.
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Hotel rates and RR fares, U.S. and Canada - 1889This travelers' guide shows railroad fares between towns on maps of each state. Hotel rates are listed alphabetically by state, then city. Source: Gibb's route and reference book, c1889.
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Telegraph rates from New York City - 1873, 1883 and 1908Table shows the price to send a 10-word message from New York City to 70 major cities in the U.S. and Canada. Source, pp. 24-25.
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Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869-1920Look up by year, then state, then city, then title to find the cost of a newspaper subscription. Source: Rowell's & Ayer's American newspaper directories.
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Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
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Telephone rates ("inter-urban") 1880s-1890sArticle in the December 20, 1902 issue of American Telephone Journal (not a government document) recounts the earliest rates for long distance service. Note: inter-urban telephone service was very limited in these early years.
In the 1880s, calls made on coin operated telephones cost 10 to 15 cents in CT. -
Telephone call in Connecticut, 1878-1882From 1878-1882, a public telephone, or pay station, was available at Bridgeport - the rate was 15 cents a call. In 1880, another telephone company in New Haven offered a pay station where calls cost 10 cents.
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Telephone rates in New York City, 1887-1905These flat rates for direct and two-party lines for business and residential customers in New York City were fixed while a metallic circuit system was installed from 1887 to 1894. A message rate schedule was then put into place in 1894, with new rate schedules adopted in 1895 and 1897.
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Medicine prices, 1880Chicago mail order company published wholesale prices in The Druggists' Ready Reference. Retail prices are sometimes mentioned; enter the word "retail" in the search box to find them.
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Physicians fees in Iowa, 1882-1887The Medical and surgical directory of the state of Iowa for 1886 and 1887 includes fee bills adopted by medical associations throughout Iowa; these tables list price scales physicians charged for services.
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Physicians fees in Brooklyn, NY - 1882-1883The February 1883 issue of the proceedings of the Medical Society of the County of Kings (New York) includes the fee bill approved by that association in 1882; it gives price ranges for medical and surgical services.
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Physicians fees in Los Angeles, 1889The January 1889 issue of The Southern California practitioner reports on the fee bill of the Los Angeles County Medical Society, giving the price ranges for consultations, obstetrical services, and surgical cases.
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Physicians fees in San Fransisco, 1884The July 1887 issue of the Cleveland medical gazette shows this fee bill adopted by the San Fransisco Medical Society in 1884, listing price ranges member physicians could charge for medical and surgical services.
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Physicians fees in Milwaukee, WI - 1883This fee bill was adopted by the Milwaukee County Medical Society in 1883; it gives price ranges physicians could charge for their services. Source: The medical history of Milwaukee, 1834-1914, by Dr. Louis Frederick Frank (1915).
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Physicians fees in Kansas City, MO - 1889The September 1889 issue of The Kansas City medical index published the current fee bill of the Jackson County Medical Society, which set uniform rates for services including general practice, obstetrics, and surgery.
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Gynecological fees, Chicago - 1889The 1895 edition of Connorton's Cook County and State of Illinois medical directory includes this table showing fees for obstetrical and gynecological services set by the Chicago Gynecological Society in 1889.
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Medical supplies catalog, 1889Catalog shows prices for doctor's and surgeon's instruments as well as "deformity apparatus, artificial limbs, artificial eyes, elastic stockings, trusses, crutches, supporters, galvanic batteries," etc.
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Doctor supply catalog, 1888This catalog lists prices for surgical, dental, and veterinary instruments, as well as "galvanic batteries, artificial limbs, artificial eyes, deformity apparatus, elastic stockings, trusses," etc.
Doctors charged-
College and university tuition, 1884The college student's manual from 1884 lists all the colleges and universities in the United States with tuitions, arranged by state.
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Tuition costs at schools and colleges, 1877-1881Schools and colleges advertised their tuition fees in issues of The Educational Weekly. Use the 'Search in this text' tool to search a volume of interest for the word "tuition". For example, in Sparta, Illinois, in 1880, high school tuition was $7 per term and grammar school was $5 per term.
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Board and tuition at a school for young ladies, 1886-87These terms for Miss E. E. Owen's School for Young Ladies in Amherst, Mass. list the cost of board and tuition, tuition only, music lessons, piano use, laundry, and seats in church.
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Tuition at Bethel College, McKenzie, TN - 1882-83 & 1888-89The Annual Catalogues of Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, include tuition terms for primary, preparatory, and collegiate courses:
- 1882-1883 -- Tuition by course of study, extra fees, and board
- 1888-1889 -- Tuition by course of study, extra fees, and board
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Harvard University - Student expenses, 1883-1887This speech on college expenses at Harvard was given at at the 1887 commencement, at which time tuition and board were both $150 per year. The appendix contains excerpts from letters the speaker received from students detailing their expenses.
Cost of Living / Consumer Expenditures - 1880s
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Cost of living in Kansas towns, 1887-1888Extensive section shows retail prices and household expenditures, reported monthly for 14 towns and cities. Covers how much residents of these towns spent on food, clothing, heating fuel, rent, treating sickness, and more. Table extends from pages 170-234. Detailed wages and expenditures by occupation begin on page 235.
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Massachusetts cost of living compared to Great Britain, 1860-1883Extensive section compares prices and wages in the two places, and provides analysis based on family budgets for a 19 families in MA and 16 in Great Britain. From this they derived consumer expenditures by category. Cost of living discussion begins on page 246. The "Workingmen's Budgets" tables that follow provide data for each family that was studied.
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Consumer expenditures for food, clothing and more, 1880-1882Lists the food typically consumed daily in the early 1880s by adult factory workers in the eastern U.S., and calculates its value at 25 cents per day. Page forward in the source to find average daily consumer expenditures for clothing, boots and shoes, fuel, bedroom furniture, cotton sheeting, agricultural implements, axes and more. Time period covered: 1860-mid 1880s. Source: Industrial Progress of the Nation by Edward Atkinson (1890)
Prices in Foreign Countries, 1880-1889
Prices in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1880s
Click the tabs above for single countries.
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Prices and cost of living in European countries, 1880sEach chapter in this U.S. consular report titled "Labor in Europe" contains much detail. Jump directly to the section for Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Portugal, Turkey, Russia. The back of the book includes a table that compares wages for a variety of occupations by European country for 1878 and 1884, with additional column showing wages for similar occupations in Chicago. For considerably more detail on each of the European countries, see the companion volumes to this consular report. Germany and England are in Vol. I and all the other countries are in Volume 2.
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Emigrants' guide, 1880Significant detail on retail prices, cost to rent, and much more for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Cape of Good Hope, Natal, and the United States. This guide was published in London.
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Daily cost of living in European countries and America, ca. 1880Expresses cost of living in pence per day. Also shows how many days of work might be required in each country to pay for one year's food, rent, taxes, etc. Source: History of prices since the year 1850, by Michael George Mulhall, published 1885 in London.
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Land prices in multiple countries, ca. 1880Tells typical prices for acreage in several countries including Canada, the Argentine Republic, Russia, England, France, Belgium, Denmark, and New Zealand (all expressed in pounds). Source: History of prices since the year 1850 published 1885 in London.
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Railway passenger fare in 15 European countries, mid 1880sShows the amount a passenger would pay per 100 miles, expressed in British pence. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 385.
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Railway passenger fare in 12 European countries, 1883Shows average fare per kilometer, expressed in French centimes. Source: Railway problems: an inquiry into the economic conditions..., p. 247.
Prices in AUSTRALIA, 1880s
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Australia (Sydney) - Retail prices, 1880Retail prices for clothing for women and men of the laboring classes as well as prices for a variety of foods, candles, soap, oil and kerosene, tobacco and more. Find house rents listed on page 46. Shows wages by occupation as well. See prices and wages for other areas of Australia by paging forward. Jump to section for western Australia on pages 66-67, Queensland on pages 64-65, south Australia on pages 54-61, and Victoria. Includes a currency comparison table for Canandian, English and American money. Source: Emigrant's guide published in London.
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Australia (Melbourne) - Prices, 1883 and 1888Source: 1888-1889 Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.
Prices in CANADA, 1880s
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Canada (Manitoba) - Cost to start a farm, 1880Emigrants' guide estimates the amount of money a newcomer to Manitoba would need to survive for the first year. Estimates the cost of one year's provisions, for one cow, a wagon, a yoke of oxen, plow, a cooking stove and tinware, furniture, etc. Includes a currency comparison table for Canadian, U.S. and English money. This source is not a government document.
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Canada - Wine and alcohol prices, 1888This source is a retail mail order catalog. Shows a variety of wines and alcohol such as whiskey, rum, brandy. Also shows prices for non-alcoholic apple cider.
PRICES in FRANCE, 1880s
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Rental costs for lodging in Paris, mid 1880sShows rent by the number of rooms, in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, published 1886 in London.
Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1880s
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Great Britain - Rent by number of rooms and quality of unit, ca. 1883See detailed description of rental units including number of rooms, along with the cost to rent on pages 450-451. Board and lodging costs are on page 452.
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England's retail food prices compared to the U.S. - 1883Table compares the retail prices for bread, meats, milk, eggs, oatmeal, potatoes, coffee, tea and more foods, as well as for soap, starch and coal in England compared to New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Source: California Bureau of Labor Statistics Report for 1883-1884.
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England (Halifax) - Prices and wages, 1885Prices of food, clothes and rent were collected informally. There is also a profile of typical family living conditions and expenditures. This source is not a government document.
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England - Bread prices, 1881-1917Shows 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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Cost of living in Great Britain, mid 1880sMulhall's Dictionary of Statistics (published 1886) includes entries for:
- Average income in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
- Average rent per house and per house inhabitant in Great Britain, 1821-1881
- Average rent of farms in England, 1701-1885
- Rent for working class dwellings in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Paris and other cities
- Funeral expenditures in England for paupers, working class, gentry, nobility, etc.
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Prices of cotton goods in the United Kingdom, 1867-1884Table shows the average annual prices (in cents) of cotton, cotton yarn, and cotton cloth in the United Kingdom from 1867-1884.
Prices in INDIA, 1880s
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Salt - Retail price in India, annual averages for 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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Grains - Retail price in India by district, annual data 1861-1890Tells how much grain one rupee could purchase in each year. Source: Prices and Wages in India published by the India government, Statistical Branch of Finance & Commerce Department.
Prices in IRELAND, 1880s
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Ireland - Food, wool and livestock prices, 1880-1885As part of a study to determine the financial burden of rents on Irish tenants, a study was taken up to record prices charged for various meats, wool, dairy products such as milk and cheese, and farm animals. Source: Quarterly Journal of Economics, reprinting tables from the Statist.
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Irish income and rent compared to England, etc. - Mid 1880sMulhall's Dictionary of Statistics (published 1886) shows:
- Average income in Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland
- Rent for working class dwellings in Dublin, London, Glasgow, Paris and other cities
Prices in ITALY, 1880s
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Italy (Milan) - Prices of wheat, bread, etc., 1801 to 1908Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.
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Italy - Prices of foods and clothing, 1885Shows retail prices for milk, eggs, butter, cheese, potatoes, macaroni, bread, figs, strawberries, and for various items of clothing, both workmen's clothes and fine clothes.
Prices in SWEDEN, 1880s
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Cereal (wheat, rye, barley, oats) prices in Sweden, 1836-1900This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Yearly consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye can be found in another table on page 156 of this book.
Timeline -- Major economic events of the 1880s
"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.
(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)
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