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There are all kinds of different jobs at the turn of the century, many of which no longer exist. Learn about the different kinds of work that men and women did then and compare that to the job market today. One thing you will learn is many jobs require hard, physical labor.
Turn of the Century Slang
Hooligan - A rowdy person who misbehaves. (1896)
The turn-of-the century and the automobile brought about an end to livery stables as they quickly became replaced with automobile garages. Thomas B. Hoover is driving one of his carriages.
This picture was taken along the 400 block of West Trade Street in the early 1900s.
First known as Biddle Memorial Institute, the school was founded in 1870 on Beatties Ford Road by the Catawba Presbytery. Colonel W.R. Myers donated the land. The school was named for Henry Biddle husband of its financial benefactor, Mary D. Biddle of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here is a reading list that a teacher might have assigned students at the turn of the last century.
Rural schools looked quite different from those in the city. Small, one-to-two room schools dotted the landscape in Mecklenburg County. Usually there would be more than one school in a community so it would be within walking distance for the children living in the ten or more nearby farms.
This is the Myers Street School (1886) at 515 South Myers Street. At the turn-of-the-century, it was the only public school for black students.
First Baptist Church, was located in the 300 block of North Tryon Street. The church can trace its history to 1832. In 1906, members decided that a new building was needed.
Many, many hours went into making a hat such as the one this lady is wearing.
Believe it or not, everything has a history, including chewing gum! Listed below are some things you might recognize. Beside each item, is the name of the person or persons associated with introducing or inventing the product, and the year it became popularly known.