The Price of Survival in Frontier Snohomish
A look at the 1880s cost of living, from the price of butter and bacon to the wages of the average blacksmith.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Milch Cows, each $35.00 to $45.00. Work Oxen, per yoke $100.00 to $150.00. Pork, dressed, 8 to 10 cents. Bacon, per lb 15 cents. Chickens, per dozen $3.00 to $4.50. Eggs, per dozen 25 cents. Flour, per bbl $6.00. Wheat, per bush $1.00 to $1.25. Butter, per lb 25 cents. Hides, per lb 8 cents. Potatoes, per bush 50 cents. Hay, per ton $15.00. Candles, per lb 15 cents. Soap, per lb 8 cents. Sugar, per lb 10 to 12 cents. Dried Apples, per lb 12 cents. Tobacco, per lb 75 cents to $1.00. Wood, per cord, delivered $3.50. Shingles, per M $2.50. Hop, per lb 15 to 17 cents.
“Prices to suit the times.”
While we no longer barter in work oxen or pay for candles by the pound, the anxiety of the 'Market Report' remains a constant in Snohomish life. Today's residents might trade 'oxen' for 'median home prices,' but the scramble to keep pace with the cost of daily essentials continues to define the local rhythm.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.