As computer programmers, graphic designers, and really nearly everyone starts to fret over AI making their jobs obsolete, it’s a good idea to remember that sometimes change is a very good thing. A quick peek through history will reveal some now-extinct jobs that were once considered normal, but today seem extraordinarily perilous, eccentric, or downright disgusting.
Some of these positions were replaced directly by new technology, like the classic case of an assembly line worker being replaced by a robot, while others, like the many plague-related professions, were rendered less necessary by improved overall health and sanitation standards in cities. Change is often hard, but good, and this look back at some outdated jobs is proof.
Ancient Jobs
Shotgun Messenger
This was a stage coach’s security guard, who typically sat up top armed with a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun. The company Wells Fargo employed shotgun messengers to deter and fight bandits while transporting strongboxes full of money across the American West. Wells Fargo of course evolved from its armed security service to a massive corporate bank, but it left us with a nice linguistic relic, as the shotgun messenger’s position next to the driver spawned the phrase “riding shotgun” in a car.
Toad Doctor
These medicine men were experts in amphibians and would put a live toad (or if need be, only a toad’s severed leg) in a cloth bag the sick person wore around the neck. This was a common treatment in England for those beset by black magic or some form of witchcraft.
Caddy Butcher
There’s no nice way to define this, other than as a horse slaughterer and seller of horse meat. Caddy butchers no longer exist in most English-speaking countries, but the processing and sale of equine meat is big business around the world, especially in China and France.
Scribe
In the days before the printing press, a scribe was the keeper of records and transcriber of speeches. It is an ancient profession that dates back to the days of Mesopotamia when only a select few had the skill to read and write. It is also the linguistic origin of our word “scribble.”
Rat Catcher
In Victorian England, this was a most noble profession, as people understood the dangers of rat infestations and admired the bravery of the rat catcher for pursuing these deadly vermin. Rat catchers used some equipment that modern pest control services use, like traps and poison, but were also known to use squads of trained terriers and ferrets to hunt rats.
Whipping Boy
Said plainly, this was a boy who received whippings. The whipping boy position was held by a child who was the surrogate “corporal punishment receiver” for a young prince (or princess). As the tutor or teacher did not have the status to whip a student of royal blood, the whipping boy would stand in for the prince to receive lashes for poor academic performance or some other offense. Some modern historians believe this to be merely the stuff of legend and not to have actually existed, but the term “whipping boy” remains today to refer to a scapegoat or the recipient of undue abuse.
Pin Monkey
In the early days of bowling, a human was required to reset the pins and return the bowling ball to the player after each roll. This job was automated in 1941, but if you are looking for a vintage thrill, the Holler House in Milwaukee is a tavern that still employs human pin setters.
Milkman
This was extremely common in the days of iceboxes when there was great concern over quickly spoiling dairy products. Even after the introduction of the home refrigerator, the profession continued well into the 50s and 60s, with approximately half of all US households receiving daily milk deliveries.
Elevator Operator
This man or woman controlled the speed of the elevator and made sure that it did not stop between floors. The job is not entirely extinct, but now exists largely as a novelty or in combination with another function such as checking tickets or providing security.
Powder Monkey
An extremely dangerous job held by adolescent boys who would transport gunpowder from a warship’s hold to its different guns and artillery around the ship, often during a battle. Both the British Royal Navy and the US Navy employed young powder monkeys.
Dripping Man
A bit of an unappetizing name for a man who collected and sold fat (drippings) of meat or pork.
Searcher of the Dead
This was a position normally held by women and entailed visiting corpses to determine the cause of death, namely whether or not a person had contracted or died from the plague. Searchers of the Dead were paid per body, and the data was used to gauge the need for quarantine in various London parishes. Perhaps not unexpectedly, most searchers of the dead eventually died of the plague.
