Below is a press release from the home offices that contains some interesting stats from the 1880 Census:
PROVO, Utah, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ — To mark the nation’s 124th Labor Day, Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history records, is releasing an interesting glimpse of the most popular and most unusual occupations in 1880.
With Labor Day’s roots dating back to 1882, Ancestry.com, the only online source for the complete digitized U.S. Federal Census from 1790 to 1930, is sharing the labor landscape from the 1880 U.S. Census, including the following fascinating discoveries:
- More than 20 percent of the population listed their occupations as someÂ form of laborer with the top three occupations listed as employed on aÂ farm, laborer or servant.Â
- Additional occupations among the top 10 include carpenter,Â dressmaker/tailor, clerk, school teacher, blacksmith, miner and cottonÂ mill worker.Â
- Some were more creative in answering census takers’ questions.Â Rather than simply listing “laborer” as their occupation, their occupationsÂ were “Sandwich Man,” “Soda Dispenser,” “Inspector of Lunch,” “CollectorÂ of Eggs” or “Prepares Fruit.”Â
- The 1880 Census reveals the lure of the “Wild West” during that timeÂ period.Â Almost 30,000 individuals reported their occupation as “SaloonÂ Keeper.”Â There was also a significant number ofÂ “Cattle Herders,”Â “Cowboys,” “Saddle and Harness Makers,” “Horse Dealers,” “StreetÂ Sweepers” (to clean up the after the horses on the big city streets)Â and even an “Outlaw” appeared on the census takers list.Â
- Some people showcased their seeming lack of occupation, listing jobsÂ such as “Old Batchelor,” “Good Talker,” “Reading the Bible,” “BirdÂ Fancyier,” “Buggy Riding” and “Gent at Large.”Â
- The top three occupations in the U.S. were identical to those listed inÂ the UK (1881 Census) where almost 10 percent of the English populationÂ were working as servants, on a farm or as laborers.Â
- Other top 10 jobs in England were dressmaker/tailor, working in theÂ cotton industry, coal miner, carpenter, laundress, annuitant (someoneÂ who receives annuity) and finally, “no occupation.”Â
- Other quirky English jobs included “Artificial Flower Maker,” “CapsuleÂ Maker,” “Coffin Maker,” “Corset Maker,” “Fancy Box Maker,” “Powder PuffÂ Maker,” “Surgical Instrument Maker.”Â To think Tom Hanks’ grandfatherÂ whose occupation was listed as “Rodent Control” in the 1930 Census andÂ later, “Squirrel Inspector,” raised eyebrows!Â
- A variety of occupations sounded more like machinery than jobs peopleÂ would perform.Â “Button Polisher,” “Envelope Folder,” “Feather Curler,”Â “Silk Winder” and “Boot Clicker” (someone in charge of lace holes on aÂ shoe) were among those listed.
“The census reveals more than just numbers — it builds stories,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO, MyFamily.com, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com. “By providing information on occupations, household members, names and ages of family members, language of origin, social status and more, census data connects our past to the present and creates a vivid snapshot of the lives of our ancestors.”