History Lesson 1908


1908 Model T Ford Touring Car
The Car That Changed The World

Show this to your children and grandchildren 

THE YEAR,  1908 -- One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1908 :


The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !

The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press, AND they were listed by the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's or Father's Day's to celebrate, but the children cared for, and treated them with more respect than they do today.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of them had graduated from high school, even more never went further than the 8th grade. To graduate the 8th grade they had to pass a Final Exam like THIS

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.    

Back then pharmacists said  'Heroin  clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact-- a perfect guardian of health.' ( Shocking? HUH! )

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or some form of domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A

Getting Out and Getting Under in the Good Ol' US of A
Barefoot's 1914 Ford "Tin Lizzie" Saga -- 2007


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Created November 2008 in the Spirit of Love

Two mighty important things, Pardn'r, LOVE And PEACE