Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
It’s Saturday Night again —
time for some more Genealogy Fun!!
Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):
- Do you have an ancestor whose occupation you know little or nothing about?
- Pick a great-grandparent or earlier ancestor who held an unfamiliar job (cooper, cordwainer, hostler, etc.). Look up the occupation and write a short description of what their daily work life might have been like.
The 1900 census lists my great-grandfather, Hiram Currey, as a magnetic healer. That’s certainly not an occupation we encounter today!
I’ve written about this unusual occupation before:
Fake or Real?
https://heartlandgenealogy.org/2021/01/13/fake-or-real/
Previous Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post:
https://heartlandgenealogy.org/2025/02/23/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-145/
For this week’s challenge, I decided to turn to ChatGPT and ask: What might a typical day have looked like for Hiram as a magnetic healer in 1900?
What Was a Magnetic Healer?
“Magnetic healing” was part of the broader world of alternative medicine in the late nineteenth century, alongside osteopathy, chiropractic, Christian Science, herbal remedies, and patent medicines.
Despite the name, magnetic healers generally weren’t using actual magnets. Instead, the practice was based on the idea of animal magnetism or a natural life force within the body—concepts popularized in the late 1700s by Franz Mesmer (yes, the source of the word mesmerize).
Practitioners believed illness resulted from blocked or unbalanced energy, and that healing could be promoted through touch, manipulation, and restoring that energy flow.
A Day in the Life of Hiram Currey, Magnetic Healer
If Hiram was actively practicing in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in 1900, his day may have looked something like this:
Morning: Seeing Patients
Hiram may have worked from his home, a rented office, or perhaps a room in a commercial building. Patients likely arrived by horse and buggy after hearing about his services through word of mouth or newspaper advertisements.
People may have sought treatment for:
- Rheumatism
- Nervous disorders
- Chronic pain
- Paralysis
- Stomach complaints
- Headaches
- General weakness or exhaustion
His office probably would have been simple:
- A few chairs
- A treatment couch or sturdy chair
- Minimal equipment
- Perhaps certificates or advertisements meant to inspire confidence
Patient Treatments
A session may have involved:
- Placing hands on the patient’s back, shoulders, or limbs
- Slow sweeping hand motions
- Pressure or manipulation of painful areas
- Reassuring conversation about restoring balance and circulation
Some practitioners believed they were transferring healing energy through touch.
A patient suffering from chronic back pain might spend 20–30 minutes receiving treatment while Hiram explained how the body’s natural forces were being restored.
Midday: House Calls
Since this was rural Kansas, house calls were likely part of the job.
Hiram may have visited farm families dealing with:
- Arthritis
- Injuries from farm labor
- “Nervous exhaustion”
- Chronic illnesses conventional doctors had failed to cure
And honestly, in 1900, conventional medicine often had limited options. Before antibiotics and many modern treatments, families were often willing to try alternatives.
Afternoon: Running the Business
As a self-employed practitioner, Hiram also had the practical side of business to manage:
- Collecting payments
- Scheduling appointments
- Advertising in local newspapers
- Building a reputation through satisfied patients
An ad from the era might have read something like:
“Magnetic healing for chronic disease. No drugs. Consultation free.”
Evening: Family Life
By 1900, Hiram was also a husband and father with a growing family.
His day probably ended much like many working fathers of the era:
- Supper with the family
- Discussion of finances
- Reading the newspaper
- Planning the next day’s work
Since Hiram later worked as a miner, carpenter, baker, teamster, and laborer, magnetic healing appears to have been just one chapter in a varied working life.
Historical Perspective
Today, “magnetic healer” sounds unusual—perhaps even questionable—but in 1900 it would not have seemed nearly so odd.
Americans could choose from:
- Traditional physicians
- Osteopaths
- Chiropractors
- Midwives
- Herbal healers
- Magnetic healers
- Patent medicine sellers
Medical licensing was evolving, but healthcare remained a very mixed landscape.
So while I may smile at seeing “magnetic healer” on my great-grandfather’s census entry, his neighbors may have viewed it as a perfectly respectable occupation.
Now it’s your turn—what unusual occupations appear in your family tree?