One hundred years ago . . . U.S. statistics for 1905

The average life expectancy was 47 years • Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub
Only 8% of the homes had a telephone • A three-minute call from Denver to NYC cost $11
There were 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads • The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10mph Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were all more populated than California With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was the 21st most populous state in the Union The average wage was 22¢ an hour • An average worker made $200-$400 annually A dentist made $2,500 per year • A veterinarian $1,500-$4,000 per year •A mechanical engineer about $5,000 annually More than 95% of all births took place at home • 90% of all physicians had no college education (Instead, they attended medical schools, which were condemned by the government and press as “substandard”)
Sugar cost 4¢ a pound • Eggs were 14¢ a dozen • Coffee was 15¢ a pound
Most women only washed their hair once a month, using borax or egg yolks for shampoo
The American flag had 45 stars (Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn’t been admitted) The population of Las Vegas was 30 • Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented There were no Mothers or Fathers days • 20% of adults couldn’t read or write • Only 6% graduated from high school Marijuana, heroin and morphine were available over the counter at drugstores • According to a pharmacist, “Heroin clears complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, bowels…and is a perfect guardian of health” 18% of the homes had at least one full-time servant or domestic • Only 230 murders were reported in the entire country