Once Upon a Price Tag: Read ’Em and Weep (Or Not?)

Just how good were the good old days? Here are some prices from Fort Worth newspapers of the past:

In 1903 you could get into a Sam Rosen house for a smidge under seventeen cents ($4.19 today) a day ($125 a month today). Russian-born Sam Rosen (1868-1932) began his working life as a peddler, became a moving force in the development of the North Side.

rosen 1903In 1903 Sam Rosen promised “no mosquitos, no malaria, no smells” and lots in Rosen Heights as low as $100.

In 1904 the county buried indigents for $5 ($125 today), the city for $8 ($201 today).

In 1908 a Maxwell Tourabout cost $825 ($20,765 today). At twelve to fourteen horsepower, it was “medium-powered.” Note that the ad copy provides little other real information about the car.

In 1913—a century ago—this new Overland would set you back $950 ($21,735 today). At that price the Overland was “completely equipped,” but the fine print says that price did not include an electric starter. At the time, the Willys-Overland company was the no. 2 automaker behind Ford. Today the company is remembered for its military jeeps.

The average cost of a new car today? More than $30,000.

In 1922 a gas war gave drivers a break from twenty-two cents ($2.98 today) a gallon.

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