Farmer
Over 2,500 farmers are listed in an 1850 census of McHenry County, Illinois. In nineteenth-century America and Europe, farming was by far the most prevalent vocation.
Farm Worker
Agricultural workers helped with farm work but did not own any land. They worked hard during planting and harvesting, cared for livestock, and did farm repairs.
Railroad Employee
While railways intersected major cities and towns, most of the railroad development undertaken in the nineteenth century occurred on the frontier. Railroad employees constructed rails and moved trains and freight throughout America from east to west.
Stagecoach Operator
People were carried across large distances by stagecoach drivers. In rural areas, it may take weeks to go from one tiny hamlet to the next, but those who could afford to travel by stagecoach could move considerably quicker.
Lumberman
Lumber was required for the construction of new communities throughout the frontier. Lumbermen cut trees and transported them down rivers in densely forested regions. Accidents may occur during the cutting process, and many of the guys who rode the logs downstream did not know how to swim.