Looking Back

The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14% of homes had a bathtub.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.

Only 8% of homes had a telephone.

There were 8,000 cars in the United States, and 144 miles of paved roads.

California was the 21st most populous state; Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were each more heavily populated.

The average wage was 22 cents an hour; the average worker earned between $200 and $400 a year.

An accountant could expect to earn $2,000 a year, a dentist $2,500.

Sugar cost 4 cents a pound, eggs 14 cents a dozen, coffee 15 cents a pound.

More than 95% of all births took place at home and 90% of all physicians had no college education.

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas was 30.

Only 6% of adults had graduated high school.

Some 18% of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic worker.

There were 230 reported murders.

Source: www.dailyreckoning.com/Featured/progress.html .