The "Other" Page last updated October 4, 2005
Perhaps it was from searching through the poorhouses that spurred this idea; as we all know, Morgan, Owen and Putnam Counties are and have always been very much rural communities. As such, the majority of the men supported their families by being farmers. Occassionally one would come across a man (sometimes a woman) that performed other forms of labor.
I suddenly became curious as to just how many of our ancestors were actually farmers and what percentage of them went off into other areas of employment. My personal estimate was that in the year 1880, Owen County was probably about 95% made up of farming communities. Allowing for a few off of that number for the children of the county, thus bringing the percentage closer to about 93%. So the search began...
I meticulously scanned through each household in the counties looking for the different types of employment listed by our ancestors. Surprisingly, as my estimate was just something off the top of my head, it wasn't "that" far off the actual total. In the 1880 census, there are 13,754 persons listed as residing in the Owen County area. Of those, there are 1066 persons gainfully employed in areas other then farming. These numbers convert into approximately 7.8% of the population being employed outside the area of farming (92.2% in farming). Somewhat higher in the other areas then I first suspected, but still pretty close.
What I have done below is to begin with Owen County and I have listed the individuals townships or communities as they were found in the census records. Those areas are then divided into the various areas of employment. I felt that a person would find it easier to search in an area then a type of job. I will eventually complete the counties of Morgan and Putnam as well. Still later, these occupations will be transferred into our "Ancestors Occupations" section.
In the individual listings, please pay no attention to the relationship category as it relates to the previous or next person. I simply copied the census listings as they were. In some areas, I corrected the spelling of the different jobs, but I left the surname spellings "error intact" for the researcher to determine. There are so many variations, I didn't want to make the wrong decision.
The separations in the listings are intentional for easier viewing. I purposely didn't include servants/housekeepers but remained with the more conventional trade type of jobs. If you have any questions about a job description, please check here.
I could be wrong, and I am the only one interested in this area, but I think it is an interesting subject matter to cover as well as letting you know just what occupation your ancestor held. Let me know if you have enjoyed it. Remember, these listings are of ALL persons NOT supporting their families by farming.
This section has been completed as of October 4, 2005. The occupation have been transferred to the section on "Ancestors Occupations".
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