Tom, My grandfather, Joe Cloud, kept a ledger during the first twenty years of his marriage. He entered all of the items purchased during each year, the date of purchase, the store were the purchase was made and the cost for each item. Some of the items wouldn't be recognizable to the reader today unless the person had a farming background. Many couldn't be purchased today. He bought material and thread and my grandmother made the clothes for the family. He bought leather and tacks and made shoes for the family. Here is a sample: Facinater - 50 cents. Some of the ladies might identify this item. 4 plough points - $1.05 Half soles - 25 cents Coffee (fresh ground) - 25 cents file - 10 cents comb - 10 cents 4 yds flannel - $1.00 4 yds calico - 25 cents 1 buckhead - 55 cents 1 collar pad - 35 cents 1 pr overalls - 50 cents 4 sacks flour - $2.10 1 pr. hose - 10 cents 1 No. 2 Oliver plough - $9.00 1 pr hames - 50 cents 1 pr trace chains - 45 cents 1 backband - 15 cents 15 yds domestic - $1.00 5 gal. coal oil - 25 cents 1 box shells - 45 cents He got extravagant in 1906 and bought 1 bottle of Brilliantine for 25 cents. That's hair dressing for you young whippersnappers. I go to Walmart today and blow $25 just on shaving and hair supplies. Ray Shirley Ask me about the Cloud DNA Project rshirley@icx.net Why Wait? Move to EarthLink. > [Original Message] > From: Tom Cloud <tcloud@austin.rr.com> > To: <CLOUD-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 5/13/2005 10:28:36 AM > Subject: [CLOUD] Comparative values of U.S. currency > > Please take a look at the page I've posted to allow the comparison > of currency from 1800 to present in the U.S. > http://www.mykindred.com/cloud/TX/Documents/dollar/ > > Let me know if ... > - you have any suggestions > - it looks bad on your computer screen > > BTW, this was prompted, among other things, by the probate of > my 4th-g-grandfather Jeremiah Cloud's will. I wanted to know > about what the things then might cost today (of course, this > is impossible, for something hand-made then is mass-produced > today, and they didn't have antibiotics, etc. > > Take a look also at the accompanying graph -- notice how the > cost of living began its (?exponential?) climb right after WW-II. > > thanks, > Tom Cloud > > > > ==== CLOUD Mailing List ==== > .................................................................. > Have you submitted your Cloud lineage to the List? > Submit a brief description of your ancestry. >