For the last several weeks, columns have concentrated on the lavish homes of wealthy Sedalians during the mid-to-late 19th century. Today’s column will discuss why it is difficult to find information about the typical house of the average working man and his family; future columns will discuss the average family’s house. Information about the houses of average families is difficult to find for several reasons. First, when the Sedalia Democrat and other newspapers advertised homes for sale, they generally gave rather vague descriptions. For example, the ads told the general location of the house but did not give the exact...

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