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The Cost of Living During Our Ancestors Lifetime

Before delving more into our ancestral history of the Filben line, I thought it would be interesting to find out what the cost of living was in both Massachusetts and in California starting in the early 1850's and 40 years onward.

 

The author Douglas A. McIntyre, wrote a very fascinating article titled, "The History of What Things Cost in America: 1776 to Today".  His article originally featured in the Huff Post (aka Huffington Post) on November 19 2010, provided me with some rather interesting facts on the cost of living in America.

In the 1800's, here is what you could expect to pay for certain expenses:

     A dictionary cost $0.50  

 

      A 12-volume encyclopedia cost $20  

 

      A chest of drawers cost $2   

 

      One cow cost $10  

 

      One Pound of Coffee Cost $0.25

He wrote that by 1850, "The United States’ economy was doing extremely well thanks to the success of agriculture in the South and manufacturing and commerce in the North’s. 

"The nation’s population grew about five times its own size from the beginning of the century and, furthermore, labor productivity increased dramatically.

"Between 1840 and 1860, the country more than doubled its agricultural output.  Its mining and manufacturing industries approximately tripled their worth over this time period."

So, by the time both Thomas and Hanora Filben had arrived in America and resided in Massachusetts, the cost of living in 1850 was as follows:

In his later years, Nathaniel listed his occupations as fisherman.  His wife Annie died at age 55 on July 8, 1830.  Nathaniel died at agwe 84 in 1854


By 1860, there were few labor laws in the United States at the time. In fact, the average work week was 60 hours (10 hours a day, six days a week, with Sundays off). Below is a list of occupations and approximately how much they earned:
 

Masons earned 22.5 cents an hour ($13.50 a week, or $700 per year)

Blacksmiths made 18 cents an hour ($10.80 a week, or $560 per year)

 
Machinists earned 16 cents an hour ($9.60 a week, or $500 per year)
 
Laborers made about 10 cents an hour ($6 a week, or $300 per year)
 
Privates in the Union army earned $11 a week, or $572 per year.
 
Firemen earned 15 cents an hour ($9.00 a week, or $468 per year)
 
Carpenters earned 14 cents an hour ($8.40 a week, or $436 per year)

 

   Rice: 6 cents a pound
 
·         Beans: 6 cents for a dry quart
 
·         Sugar: 8 cents a pound
 
·         Beef: 9 cents a pound
 
·         Cheese: 10 cents a pound
 
·         Bacon: 12 cents a pound
 
·         Butter: 16 cents a pound
 
·         Eggs: 20 cents a dozen
 
·         Potatoes: 40 cents a bushel
 
·         Coffee: $1.20 a pound (Just like in 1850 customers received coffee beans, which they then had to roast and grind themselves)

  • A dozen pairs of Levi Strauss blue jeans cost $13.50 (1874)

     

  • One pair of shoes cost $0.98 (1875)
     

  • One suit cost $10.00 (1875)
     

  • One opera ticket for “The Marriage of Figaro” cost $1 in 1875
     

  • A necktie “designed to supersede all other methods for fastening the bow to a turn-down collar” cost $0.10
     

  • One pound of Coffee cost $0.25

 

According to author, Douglas A McIntyre,

 

“Following the Civil War, there was an unprecedented boom in US production compared with.  This growth, however, was stalled by the Panic of 1873, a major economic recession. Apart from this downturn, the country underwent rapid expansion as the population over doubled from 1860 to 1890, from 31.5 million to 76 million.  Most professions required a 60 hour work week, which paid anywhere between $1.60 per day (a fireman in Massachusetts) to $4.64 per day (a glassblower in New Jersey.)" 

 

In 1872, people could actually order things through a new catalogue called, Montgomery Ward!  Below is an image of one their earliest catalogues and what you could order.

Or you could place an order through this 1870 catalogue below.

Photo to the left is not our family but represents the dress fashion of the 1860's. Soon newspaper advertisement would offer clothing for men, women and children as shown in the 1861 ad below.

Then before long,  the first of grocery stores ads also began appearing in newspapers. Below are two from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Always a wonderfully fascinating search to learn and compare the cost of living for our ancestors as compared to now.

One story I have been told by mom and Aunt Shirley is that Great Grandma Nell was considered in our family one of the first true catalogue shoppers! She loved looking through catalogues and would order special stockings with Rhine Stones on the toes!

She would be amazed on how many online shopping sites there are! Of course now we all get catalogues in the mail. You put your name on one list and come Christmas time, the mail is full and over flowing of more catalogues!

FLORENCE WINSTANLEY & HER FAMILY

Born in California sometime in/around May 1884 Florence was the oldest of five daughters raised by Clement and Ella (Nixon) Winstanley.  Her younger sisters were Mabel, Edith, Ella and Grace Violet.

Their father, Clement was born in April 1846 in the town of Wandsworth Surrey England and arrived in the US in 1872. Their mother Ella Nixon was born in New York in/abt 1850.

An 1874 Census indicates Clement working as a draftsman for an architectural company called Wright and Sanders in San Francisco.

Wright and Sanders were two English architects who began their practice in San Francisco around 1868.In fact, “The Mark Hopkins Mansion” (later the San Francisco Art Institute) on Nob Hill was designed by John Wright!

“The Mark Hopkins Mansion

pointing+hand+vintage+image+graphicsfairy2_edited.jpg

With its turrets and over-the-top decoration, the mansion was not beloved by architectural critics---one of whom called it "the last and worst of the railroad barons' palaces!"

In/around 1880, Clement registered for the army draft. After participating in basic training/boot camp Clement became a civilian supply clerk in the Presidio of San Francisco.

He was then promoted to work as a Civil Engineer Chief of the quartermasters office for the department of CA along with doing work as a topographer (someone who studies the surfaces of a land area and makes maps).



Florence’s mother Ella Nixon, was a native of New York or possibly Rhode Island as indicated in the obituary below. Although exact date unknown, it appears that Ella and Clement were married just prior to 1874.


Sadly, Ella died at age 48 on May 12, 1898- possibly due to the outbreak of Typhoid fever happening in San Francisco at that time. 

16 years later, in 1914 while walking on the streets of San Francisco, Clement dropped dead of a heart attack. Both Ella and Clement are buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery.

REV. W.W BOLTON

The Church as it looked then and as it looks now.

On November 16 1898, Florence gave birth to a baby girl whom they named Madeline.

A second daughter Anita was born on Oct 1 in 1900.

The marriage to Florence may have been a happy one in the begining. But she soon showed her true colors, becoming  a very difficult and challenging woman to live with.

Florence began to misappropriate the household funds, using the money given to her for other purposes all the while attacking Frederick with abusive words and cruelty. She described all policemen as bums as you will see in the news article below.

After 12 years of a loveless marriage, Frederick had had enough.  With more than ample evidence, Frederick was granted a divorce in December of 1908. Florence was granted custody of their two daughters.

Florence passed away the following year 

on September 16.

Screenshot 2025-02-11 at 15-02-57 to be continued - Google Search.png
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