Take a look at America over a century ago (1904): Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California; with a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200-$400 a year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 a year; a dentist $2,500 a year; a veterinarian between $1,500-$4,000 a year; and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 a year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.