How Rich (or Poor) Was My Ancestor?

You may have noticed the dollar value of property, real or personal, listed in some census records—for instance the 1860 US Census. You may also have then wondered what that translated into today’s dollars.

That sounds like a rather straight forward question, but it apparently is not. Harold Henderson in the Midwestern Microhistory Blog gives an explanation of some of the problems in determining present value, and he also gives some suggestions on how to get an idea of the relative worth of your ancestor’s holdings.

Check it out at Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog: My ancestor had $1000 in 1860 -- was he rich?