Life a century ago included many occupations that seem downright strange today. Before modern technology and new regulations, people filled roles that met the needs of their communities. From lighting gas lamps to waking workers by tapping on windows, these jobs were once vital. As society advanced, each of these 15 curious careers faded away, leaving behind fascinating stories of daily life in a bygone era.

1. Lamplighters: Lighting The Night Before Electricity

Before electric bulbs, lamplighters walked city streets each evening to ignite and later extinguish gas lamps. Armed with long poles and lanterns, they climbed ladders to reach fixtures on posts and building exteriors. Their work ensured people could safely navigate dark roads and sidewalks. Once cities installed electric streetlights in the early 1900s, lamplighters became unnecessary almost instantly.

2. Knocker-Uppers: Human Alarm Clocks Of The Industrial Age

In the days before affordable alarm clocks, knocker-uppers roused early-shift workers by tapping on bedroom windows with long sticks. Sometimes they used pea-shooters or short poles to gently knock in multi-story buildings. They ensured factory workers started shifts on time. By the 1930s, inexpensive mechanical alarm clocks made their role obsolete.

3. Ice Cutters: Harvesters Of Winter’s Frozen Treasure

Before electric refrigeration, ice cutters spent cold winters sawing huge blocks from frozen lakes and rivers. They used ice saws and curved tongs, then loaded slabs onto horse-drawn sleds for transport to cities. Ice houses preserved the harvest for warm months. As mechanical refrigeration spread in the early 20th century, the ice-cutting trade quickly became obsolete, ending a once-thriving winter industry.

4. Leech Collectors: Suppliers For Medical Bloodletting

In the 18th and 19th centuries, leech collectors waded into marshes to gather blood-sucking leeches for medicinal use. They baited the creatures with their flesh and stored them in glass jars for doctors who believed in bloodletting cures. By the late 1800s, advances in medical science and synthetic alternatives ended leech collection. Today, their work remains a curious footnote in medical history.

5. Town Criers: The Mobile News Broadcasters

Before newspapers and electronic media, town criers delivered official news aloud in public squares, ringing bells to gather crowds. Clad in bright uniforms, they announced proclamations, lost-and-found notices, and market days. Their booming voices kept illiterate populations informed. With the rise of print newspapers in the 19th century and later radio and television, town criers faded away, though ceremonial criers still appear at special events.

6. Switchboard Operators: Connecting Calls By Hand

In the early days of telephones, operators sat at wooden switchboards and manually plugged cables into jacks to connect calls. They also helped callers find numbers and answered inquiries. As automatic dialing systems emerged in the mid-20th century, manual switchboards were phased out. This shift freed operators from repetitive work and ushered in modern telecommunications networks.

7. Elevator Attendants: Guiding You Between Floors

When early elevators required skilled control, attendants stood by ornate cabs, manually operating levers and answering passenger questions. They ensured smooth starts, stops, and floor selections. As push-button controls and safety systems became standard by the 1950s, elevators became self-operating. The once-ubiquitous elevator attendant role disappeared, marking a significant step toward automated building services.

8. Pinsetters: Manual Mechanics Behind Bowling Lanes

Before automatic pinsetters, young workers called pinsetters reset bowling pins by hand after each frame, then retrieved balls. They wore protective gloves and aprons in dimly lit alleys. This tedious job paid low wages and posed safety risks. The introduction of electric pinsetting machines in the 1950s eliminated the need for manual labor, transforming bowling into a fully automated leisure activity.

9. Rat Catchers: Urban Pest Control Specialists

Cities once hired rat catchers to rid streets and buildings of rodents. Using traps, poison, and even trained dogs, they chased rats from alleyways. Their efforts reduced disease risks in crowded urban centers. By the mid-20th century, modern pest-control chemicals and professional extermination companies provided safer, more efficient methods, causing the bespoke rat-catcher role to disappear from city payrolls.

10. Chimney Sweeps: Cleaning Homes from The Chimney Top Down

Before central heating, chimney sweeps climbed rooftops to scrub soot from flues using wire brushes and rods. Their work prevented deadly chimney fires and improved indoor air quality. Victorian-era child labor abuses in this trade led to regulations and mechanical innovations. As home heating technology advanced, chimney sweeps became rare, replaced by safer, cleaner heating systems and professional inspection services.

11. Milkmen: Doorstep Dairy Delivery Services

Each dawn, milkmen rode bikes or horse-drawn carts, leaving fresh milk in glass bottles and picking up empties left outside. By the 1950s, widespread home refrigerators and the growth of supermarkets made daily doorstep milk delivery a thing of the past. Milkmen faded into memory as families began buying milk and dairy products on their schedules at grocery stores.

12. Daguerreotypists: Pioneers Of Early Photography

In the 1840s, daguerreotypists produced single-image portraits on silver-coated copper plates. The process required long exposure times and toxic chemicals. Clients sat motionless for detailed, one-of-a-kind keepsakes. As safer, faster film photography emerged in the 1860s, daguerreotype studios closed. Their brief but influential era marked the beginning of photographic portraiture and visual documentation.

13. Snake-Oil Salesmen: Traveling Medicine Showmen

Snake-oil salesmen toured towns with wagons full of “miracle” remedies, performing theatrical pitches and offering cure-alls for every ailment. They mixed herbs, oils, and alcohol in colorful displays. The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act banned misleading packaging and dangerous additives. Modern pharmaceutical regulations and scientific standards ended the traveling quack’s trade, replacing it with licensed medicine.

14. Human Alarm Clocks: Personalized Wake-Up Calls

Before reliable alarm clocks, some people hired “knocker-uppers” to rouse them at set times. These human alarm clocks tapped on windows with batons or pea-shooters until clients awoke. When wind-up and electric alarm clocks became affordable and accurate in the 20th century, this quirky service vanished. The human alarm clock remains an amusing example of personalized service in a simpler age.

15. Plague Cleaners: Hazardous Disease Disposal Workers

In cities plagued by epidemics, plague cleaners removed and disinfected the belongings of infected households. Wearing rudimentary protective gear, they carried vinegar, lime, and spatulas to scrape away contaminated materials. Advances in epidemiology, sanitation, and public health measures eliminated the need for such dangerous work. Modern disease-control protocols and professional health agencies replaced these early front-line workers.