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Price of Goods, 1870
Food Prices     Horses, cattle & gear .
Wheat per bushel $1.02   Horse, average work horse $150
Flour per barrel $3.00   Horse, good saddle horse $200
Corn per bushel 40 cents     .
Molasses, gallon 15 cents   Saddle $30
Mess pork per barrel $9   cowboy saddle $60
Mess beef per barrel $8   Harness $50
Lard per pound 6 cents     .
Butter per pound 15 cents   Yoke of two oxen $150
Sugar per pound 7 cents   heifer $18.75
Cheese per pound 5 cents   cow $26
Rice per pound 5 cents   bull $90
oranges $.50/dozen   3 year old steer $62
dried figs $.20/pound   2 year old steer $22.50
dried apples $.10/pound   yearlings $12.50
dried apricots $.15/pound   calves $2.50
dried peaches $.12/pound     .
fresh peaches 3 for $.10   Buggy $75
fresh apples 2 for $.05   Wagon $65
sugar $.10/pound     .
flour $.04/pound   Weapons and Ammunition .
coffee $.12/pound     .
.     Pearl-handled matched set of Colt .45 Peacemakers with holsters $100
Home and farm costs     Classic Peacemaker $17.00 by mail order
Land $5/acre (avg. 160 acres)   cartridges $.50 cents/box
Homestead filing fee $14   breach loading shot gun $60
House -- 32’x40’ (4 rooms) $700   rifle, single shot muzzle loader, used $8
House -- 16'x22' (2 rooms) $300   rifle, seven-shot Sharps repeater $50
Shanty -- 8'x10' (1 room/dirt floor) $25     .
Stable and well $150   Prices from Montgomery Ward's First Catalogue, 1872 .
Plows, cultivators, field equip. $325   Gentleman's toilet set, including toothbrush, nail brush, razor, razor strop, lather brush, comb, hair brush $1.00
Chairs $1.25 each   2 colored undershirts -- (white -- $1.00) $1.25
Bed, bureau and commode $15   2 colored drawers -- (white -- $1.00) $1.25
Cookstove $25   3 New York Mills white shirts $2.50
lantern $1.00   6 pairs men's cotton socks $1.00
Coal about $80/year   6 pairs Army wool socks $1.00
Kerosene $.15/gallon   7 yards blue denim $1.00
.     3 yards plain cassimere [cashmere] $1.00
Dry Goods     1 hoop skirt, 1 bustle, & 1 hair braid $1.00
calicos 10 cents/yard   1 ladies gold locket, plain enameled $1.50 $2.00
bleached cotton 15 cents/yard   1 pair ladies earrings & pin set, imported $4.50
brown shirtings 13 cents/yard   1 pair ladies solid gold ear drops $3.00
domestic ginghams 15 cents/yard   1 plain gold ring (all sizes) $2.00
blankets $3.00 each   1 silver plated hunting case watch $6.00
. .   1 silk parasol $1.00
.     1 heavy plaid shawl $3.00

Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest