14 Interesting Jobs You Never Knew Existed

As the world changes and technology improves, many jobs are slowly becoming obsolete. But this isn't the first time in human history that this has happened. Have you ever stopped to consider what jobs used to exist that are no longer relevant? Here is a list of fifteen strange and surprising jobs that no longer exist. 

1. Toad Doctors 

Doctors typically specialize in different things down the line in their careers, but in the 1600s, using toads for medicinal purposes was one of those specializations. Toad doctors believed in the healing properties of toads and would use whole toads, toad parts, and ashes to treat different ailments in their patients. 

2. Milkmen 

Before refrigerators, there had to be a way to access fresh milk. Milkmen were responsible for delivering fresh milk to every household every day. It was the safest and most convenient way to get milk and other perishables. 

3. Town Crier

Everyone gets their news right at their fingertips these days, but before there were no cell phones, local news stations, or even newspapers, there was the town crier. This person would be responsible for shouting out the latest news for people around the town to hear. They would start with the famous line, “Hear ye, hear ye,” to catch the crowd's attention. 

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4. Wheelwrights 

Just like modern mechanics who repair cars, when people traveled with horse-drawn carriages, there must have been someone to repair them. Wheelwrights were responsible for repairing the carriages and ensuring they could be used safely. 

5. Breaker Boys

Breaker Boys were young boys who worked in the coal mines whose job was to separate the pieces of coal by hand. They would break the coal into small, common-sized pieces and separate out any impure elements from the rock. 

6. Projectionists 

Before the transition to digital media, movies were played using projectors. Projectionists were responsible for sitting in the projector room, rolling the film for the night, and maintaining the equipment. 

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7. Ice Cutters

Have you ever considered how difficult it was for people in the past to get their hands on a bag of ice? So many modern freezers make their own ice, and if not, it’s readily sold at grocery stores and gas stations. But people in the past didn't have that luxury. There were people whose job was to go to the local rivers and ponds to cut out chunks of ice for sale. 

8. Food Tasters 

Centuries ago, poison was a common weapon, especially if your target was someone surrounded by bodyguards like the members of a royal family. The ruling class would hire a food taster to taste their food, wait for a reaction, and then serve it to the person it was prepared for. Those who tasted drinks were known as cupbearers. 

9. Dunny Man

Before indoor plumbing and sewer systems, everyone used outhouses. The British and Australians called them dunnies. Every night, a dunny man was responsible for going from house to house with their dunny carts to collect the waste and clean up the outhouses to ensure there were clean outhouses for use the following day.

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10. Lamplighters 

Before automatic streetlights, street lamps needed to be manually operated. Lamplighters ensured the gas, oil, and candle lamps were lit before dusk and extinguished at dawn. They also had to clean the lamps and replace the glass if it broke. 

11. Telegrapher

Communicating with people worldwide is as easy as talking to someone in the house next door, but that wasn't always the case. Before the invention of the telephone, there was the telegraph. Telegraphers would send and receive messages across long distances using Morse code using a telegraph key. They were crucial for communicating time-sensitive messages.

12. Hacker 

It is not the computer hacker you are thinking about. A hacker is also known as a woodchopper – a person who cuts wood. People used to cut wood back then, but not at this time anymore. People rely on machines to cut wood now. 

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13. Linotype Operator 

Phototypesetting didn’t exist yet so you have the linotype operator. They are skilled workers who use the linotype, a machine that produces lines of words,  to create daily newspapers for the people. Creating a newspaper was a lot more work than today. 

14. Typist

There was no such thing as a computer back then. A typist is responsible for typing documents and material like reports, correspondence, and policies. It was a popular job, but now it has been replaced with computers.