Jobs in the 1800's

1860 Census Ohio

 

Researching through census records lets you know just how boring today's jobs are. Most people today work in plants or some sort of fast food or box store. In other words, you're indoors with little chance of fresh air.

In rural Ohio, 1800's, some of your options of indoor/outdoor jobs were:

1. wagon maker
2. peddler
3. tanner
4. chairmaker
5. farm worker
6. reed peddler
7. saddler
8. cotton spinner
9. wheel right

Some of these jobs were done indoors, but the difference was - they had the doors and windows open - big doors, in the case of the wagon and wheel maker.

Cotton spinner? You can put the spinning wheel on a porch and have at it, or they may have also used a drop spindle, which again can be used indoors or out. 

Thanks to my love of knitting and crochet - I think I would have enjoyed being a cotton spinner.