Extinct professions from the 1850 census

Have you ever meet a tinsmith, cooper, limeburner, trader, or stone mason? No? You are not alone! These professions, once common in 1850s Cape Girardeau County, have become extinct or extremely rare.

According to the 1850 federal census for Cape Girardeau County, there were 13,912 residents. The majority of male residents worked as farmers. In addition to the professions listed above, there were also saddlers, shoemakers, wagon makers, tailors and blacksmiths. Professions that are still around today that were listed were physician, carpenter, minister and teacher.

Below are a sampling of residents, their professions, and what their job entailed. All jobs are taken from the 1850 census for Cape Girardeau County.

A native of Germany, George Cramer, 29, worked as a tobacconist. He would have provided customers with a variety of tobacco products, including cigars, pipes, matches and other paraphernalia.

James T. Huckstep, 35, from Virginia, worked as a plasterer. Like a modern day installer of sheet rock, the plasterer created interior walls or decorative ceiling or wall moldings.

Originally from Pennsylvania, James Murry, 28, worked as a limeburner. His job entailed burning limestone in kilns to extract the lime. It was then used by farmers and in tanneries.

Bruno Aburtes, 41, from Germany was a silversmith. He was able to turn silver sheet metal into bowls, cups, silverware, and candlesticks. A modern day equivalent would be jeweler. There is one silversmith operating in Cape Girardeau as of this year.

John Peri, 33, from Canada, worked as a stone cutter. His job was to create smooth shapes and patterns from rough pieces of stone. His work would have been used for building or wall construction.

Hiram Painter, 40, from Kentucky, worked as a tanner. He would tan hides of animals for making leather.

Born in Missouri in 1817, James Colwell worked as a cooper. He formed and shaped wooden staves and hoops to create barrels and casks.

Finally, Phillip R. Robison, 53, a native of Kentucky, worked as a wheelwright. He made and repaired wheels for wagons and carriages.

These and other professions have declined or disappeared, largely due to technological advancements such as automation. It would be interesting to see what present-day occupations no longer exist in 170 years.