The American frontier is equal parts geographic area, era, and mythology. Explore the real Wild West in these historic saloon photos, from Texas to Montana to California.
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. The things authors—particularly historical fiction authors—must research for accuracy in their stories is a mixed bag and always proves interesting. I can’t tell you how many times I find myself questioning what a particular item might have cost in the Old West. I thought you might find it interesting to see the costs of various things in the latter half of the 1800s. Grocery Items I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can walk into our local grocery store and pick up “a few” items—and drop over $100 without batting an eye. Prices on everything seem to skyrocket. What about 150 years ago? Old General Store, St. Augustine, Florida, where canned goods and other items line the walls behind the counter. Here’s just a sampling of common grocery items from a sampling of years. (These prices are pulled from various sources. Costs could have been drastically different in different areas of the country): Years Article 1860 1864 1872 1878 1882 Barrel of Flour 5.25 8.00 -- 4.00 -- Pound of Corn Meal .02 -- .01 .02 .04 Barrel of Salt Pork 16.12 19.75 -- 9.25 -- Quart of Beans .08 -- .09 .08 .13 Gallon of Molasses .33 .50 -- .25 -- Pound of Rice .035 .085 -- .06 -- Pound of Starch .11 -- .12 .10 .09 Pound of Sugar .06 .13 -- .075 -- Pound of Roasted Coffee .23 -- .42 .26 .29 Pound of Oolong Tea .54 -- .69 .60 .58 Pound of Lard .10 .12 -- .07 -- I find it notable that during the years of the Civil War (1861-1865) and in the 5-7 years afterward, prices on many typical grocery items were higher than before the war, and they dropped down again a decade or more afterward. Clothing We are so spoiled today. We are used to walking into any store—from Walmart to Nordstrom, and anything in between—to purchase ready-made clothing in vast arrays of styles, colors, and price ranges. It hasn’t always been so. In the late half of the 1800s, people still made their clothing, something that is far more of a rarity today than it once was. The "dry goods" display in the Old General Store, St. Augustine, FL A yard of brown shirting material would’ve run .08-.09 cents between 1860-1882. A yard of ticking would have cost .17-.18 cents. A yard of satinet (a polished cotton fabric with a similar look to satin) would have cost .54-.59 cents in that 22 year span. And if you didn’t have the sewing skills to cut out a pattern and stitch it together, then you’d pay a tailor or seamstress for their services. Livestock, Saddles, and Other Gear So much of the Old West culture revolved around ranches, livestock, and horses. So what did these animals and the equipment needed to use them run? A calf might run $2.50/head. A yearling would go for $12.50. A 2-year-old steer would go for $22.50. A bull would run $90. A yoke of 2 oxen, good for pulling wagons and the like, would run roughly $150. An average workhorse to be used around the farm or ranch would also go for $150. A fine saddle horse would cost more—about $200. Harnesses for the oxen or workhorse would go for $50 or so. A saddle, depending on the type, would cost between $30-$60. If you were looking at a wagon, expect to pay $70 or more. Guns and Other Weapons Historic ad for Colt Peacemaker In the 1800s, if you expected to eat, you typically had to have a gun. Life wasn’t like it is today, with a grocery store on every corner where you can pick up neatly-packaged, pre-cut meat, ready to throw on the grill or into the oven. No…in that day, you hunted for your food. And while perhaps not as prevalent as western TV programs, movies, and novels would have you believe, gunplay with pistols was also an element of western life. So what did those tools of the time cost? A used single-shot, muzzle-loading rifle would cost $8. The fancy seven-shot Sharps Repeating Rifle cost $50. A breach-loading shotgun would go for $60. And the gun that won the west—the Colt .45 “Peacemaker” ran $17 if ordered by mail-order. If you preferred the upgraded pearl-handled set, which came with holsters, those Peacemakers were $100. And cartridges for the guns cost $.50/box. Salaries of that Day Of course, none of these prices means a whole lot until you compare it with what typical folks made back then. So what did people earn in common western jobs? During the California Gold Rush, carpenters were making $16/day in San Francisco (1849). By the 1860s, this had dropped to $4/day. Wild Bill Hickok earned $150 a month as the marshal of Abilene, KS. Other Kansas lawmen earned $100, and deputies often made $60-75/month. Typical ranch hands earned $30/month, plus room and board. If you were a top ranch hand, you might earn $40. A ranch foreman could command $50/month. And the trail boss of a cattle drive sometimes made as much as $100. The average school teacher would earn $30/month. Pony Express Riders, for the very short time of that service, earned $25 a week for their efforts and the dangers they faced. Pony Express ad, showing the pay of $25/week. A private or corporal in the Army (in 1865) could expect $13/month. A sergeant’s page jumped to $17. A 1stor 2ndlieutenant made roughly $105, with captains earning $115. If one was fortunate enough to make it all the way to the rank of General in 1865, they could’ve expected almost $760 in pay. Oh, and just to keep it real—a soiled dove could expect $1 to $2 per roll in the sheets. I hope you enjoyed this little look into what things cost in bygone days. If you did, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just please be patient with my response time. My hubby and I are in a training class all week, so I won’t be able to respond until evening, if then.
Most Utah towns were founded by Mormon pioneers. This little town in northern Utah was founded by non-Mormons, and its history sure is interesting.
Whenever the subject of personal hygiene on the frontier is raised, everyone rushes to discuss how stinky people were back in the ‘old days’. Granted, I’m sure there were smelly people, but I think it’s unfair to lump all people from that era in one large reeking group. There were different levels of hygiene depending on...
.css-1sgivba{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;gap:0.5rem;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-2);} .css-cosgki{font-size:16px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);} Product Type: Photo Print Size: 8" x 10" Finished Size: 8" x 10" .css-1336n79{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-8);margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-8);} Product ID: 43797020712A
Crow Creek Warriors on the Crow Reservation - Montana - 1909 - Vintage - Photo Photo Credit: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles BULK ORDER DISCOUNT ► PRODUCTION: This REPRODUCTION print is of the original photograph, un-matted & un-framed. Professionally printed on high quality, professional paper that will last a lifetime. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For some photos, but not all...some CROPPING/SCALING may occur depending on which size you select. If you have a question about cropping/scaling, please contact me for a proof of your image. **No WATERMARK will appear on your print(s).** ► SHIPPING: Shipped with protective packaging. Please note that processing time does not include actual shipping/transit time. I make my best effort to get your print to you as fast as possible! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER!!!!!!!!! Tags: Native American, Pueblo, Chief, History, Vintage, Indian, Tribe, Art, Photo, Print, Photograph, Photography, Black and WhiteThese are prints of the original photo and may show scratches and blemishes found on the original. Please be sure to zoom in on photo to view the quality and potential blemishes. Returns & Exchanges are for something that is an error of the photo or shipping damage to the photo. Canadian customers must pay shipping to return or exchange a photo.
SI Neg. 2004-57878. Date: na...Platinotype: Front view of Sioux male, mounted ..Credit: Gertrude Kasebier (Smithsonian Institution)
One of the best features of this book is the insightful development of many characters. How several characters coped with tragic events in their lives is
Lovely profile of Annie Oakley found at the amazing Western History collection at the University of Oklahoma. Scanned from Beautiful Daring Western Girls, a book by Sarah Wood-Clark. The photographer looks to be someone named "White" from NY.
Emigrants, settlers, and soldiers faced an uncertain and dangerous future in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Bitter postbellum rivalries continued to divide the North and South, while people from literally all walks of life flocked west. Some genuinely sought a fresh start beyond the banks of the Mississippi…
Explore Atomic Mutant Flea Circus' 418 photos on Flickr!
Back of postcard reads: Martha Jane Canarray was born in Princeton, Mo. The hard drinking woman wore men's clothing, used their bawdy language, chewed tobacco and was handy with a gun. She traveled from Arizona through the Dakota territories during her rough life. At her death, the "White Devil of the Yellowstone" was remembered as a saint by the citizens of Deadwood, where she helped nurse the sick during a smallpox plague. She is buried near Wild Bill Hickok at Deadwood, S.D.
The American Wild West includes the history, folklore, people, and events of the mid-1800s to the beginning of the 20th century (though some people date it up to the 1920s). During this time of expansion from coast to coast, many people rose to fame through their exciting (and often illegal) lives. We still remember these
While jeans, a western riding shirt, and a cowboy hat are what cowgirls wear to ride, this has not always been the case. Take a look...
The controversial general was killed at Little Bighorn.
