Your Ancestors' Lives in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

At the StLGS September monthly meeting this past weekend, Missouri History Museum (MHM) historian Andrew Wanko painted a vivid picture of life in St. Louis in 1875. Using the wonderful Pictorial Atlas of St. Louis, originally published by Compton and Dry, to illustrate what the city looked like, Mr. Wanko gave us a fascinating glimpse of St. Louis and St. Louisans in the mid-nineteenth century. For those unfamiliar with the Pictorial Atlas, it was a chance to learn a bit about its history and artwork. MHM speaker restrictions kept us from recording the meeting, but you can learn more about the atlas in a lively blog post from 2012, when the MHM hosted an exhibit of all of the pages of the atlas.

Although the atlas has been digitized and is available to view online, having the actual book is a treat. The sheer size of the original means that the maps had to be cut to fit the paper, leaving pages that are not always sequential. Although you can enjoy each page on its own, the book contains the numeric "code" for viewing the pages sequentially, making it quite valuable. In addition, there are pages of narrative and an index at the back. Fortunately, the St. Louis Genealogical Society has permission from the copyright holders to reproduce this atlas. You can read a description and purchase a copy in our secure online store. If you are a member of StLGS, be sure to log in first to get your member discount. 

During his talk, Mr. Wanko interjected many colorful tidbits about our ancestors' everyday lives in St. Louis. He reminded us that we often think about “the good old days” with nostalgia instead of reality. We tend to forget about overcrowded tenements, discriminatory laws against racial, ethnic, and religious groups, or the sheer inconvenience of outdoor plumbing, minimal attempts at dealing with sewage, and medical ignorance. 

Many people who attended the livestream meeting had questions about how their ancestors were living, so this seems like a good time to share some ways you can learn more about what life was like, not only in St. Louis but throughout America, during the mid to late nineteenth century.

Some Websites of Note:

“1850–1877: Lifestyles, Social Trends, and Fashion: Overview,” Encyclopedia.com, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/1850-1877-lifestyles-social-trends-and-fashion-overview

“PopCulture: 1870,” U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1870_fast_facts.html
(Use the links on the left side of the window to learn about other decades too!)

“Everyday Life in America,” CliffsNotes, https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/history/us-history-ii/american-society-and-culture-18651900/everyday-life-in-america
(Again, explore the links on the left side for much more information.)

“Reinventing Daily Life: Treasures of American History,” Smithsonian National Museum of American History, https://americanhistory.si.edu/treasures/daily-life
(Links to explore on this site are on the right side of the window.)

“A Lady’s Life in Mid-19th Century America,” The Exploress, https://www.theexploresspodcast.com/episodes/2018/s1e1/welcometomid19thcenturyamerica
(The podcast, located at the top of the window, runs about 50 minutes and is well worth your time, as are the text and photos on the page. Be sure to scroll down for many more sources of information on what women’s lives were like as well as a written transcript of the podcast.)

Some Books for your Library:

McCutcheon, Marc. Everyday Life in the 1800s: A Guide for Writers, Students and Historians. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1993.

Schlereth, Thomas J., Victorian America: Transformations in Everyday Life, 1876–1915, New York: Harper Collins Publishing Co., 1991.

Varhola, Michael J. Everyday Life During the Civil War: A Guide for Writers, Students and Historians. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1999.

Varhola, Michael J. Life in Civil War America, 2nd edition. Cincinnati, Ohio: Family Tree Books, 2011.