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Turn of the 20th Century: Life in Charlotte 1900 - 1910

Parochial School

By 1900, the O'Donoghue School was the oldest private school in Charlotte. It was established on August 27, 1887 by the Sisters of Mercy. It was first called St. Mary's Seminary. This school was for children whose parents wanted them to receive a Catholic education.  In 1905, the school moved to a larger building at 531 South Tryon Street, and changed its name to the O'Donoghue School after the school's benefactor, Dr. Dennis O'Donoghue.

Chapter One: Fun Facts

Below are things you would have seen in 1900. The date beside each item indicates the year it was invented.

French Fries - 1700s by Thomas Jefferson

Bicycles - 1790

Graham Crackers - 1829

Lawn mowers - 1830

Chewing gum - 1848

Sewing Machines - 1851

Elevators - 1853

Dynamite - 1866

Cracker Jacks - 1872

Mail Order Catalogs - 1872

Ketchup - 1876

Telephones - 1876

Toilet Paper - 1880

Coca Cola by John Pemberton - 1886

Basketball - 1891

Chapter Information

1.  Fun Facts

◾ First Time Events 

◾ New Words 

◾ Cost of Living 

◾ Things Familiar 

◾ Things Unknown 

◾ Winter Wonders 

◾ Holiday Gifts 

Icebox Instead of Refrigerators

Refrigerators in homes would not be seen until around 1913, and only in homes where the owner could afford one. Most people relied on an icebox to keep their food cold.  Kept in the kitchen, an icebox resembled a piece of furniture.  A block of ice was placed in the lower compartment to cool the food above. The melted ice collected in a tray underneath the icebox. Everyday, someone in the house would empty the tray. Once a week or when neccessary, the iceman would deliver a block of ice to the house.

Rural Life

According to the 1900 United States Census, 55,628 reside in Mecklenburg County. Of these, only 18,091 live in Charlotte. There are 4,190 farms in the county, and that’s where most people live. A farm laborer earns approximately $14.64 a month.

1900 Residential Rents

Take a look at how inexpensive it was to rent a house a hundred years ago. This is a copy of an advertisement from the 1903  Charlotte Observer.  A family could rent a seven-room house in uptown Charlotte for $25.00 a month in the early 1900s. In one hundred years, the rent for this same house will be $2000.00

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Shoes

Different shoe styles are not the norm in 1903.  Based on this 1910 advertisement, women had some choices when it came to shoes, but not as many as we do today. The laced up boots seen here were in vogue in 1903 until the late 1900s. To fasten the buttons  a hook was designed to help accomplish this arduous, daily task.      

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