You Won’t Believe These 10 Jobs Actually Existed.

The modern job market is full of strange and highly specialized roles, but some of the strangest jobs in history are the ones that no longer exist. Before automation and technological advancements took over, people were paid to do tasks that now seem completely outdated. From resetting bowling pins to delivering massive blocks of ice, these once-common jobs were essential to daily life in the 20th century.

Here are ten forgotten professions that were once thriving careers – but are now completely obsolete.

1. The Bowling Alley Pinsetter

Before the days of automated pin-setting machines, real people were responsible for resetting bowling pins. Pinsetters, often young boys looking to make a few extra dollars, had to move quickly to clear fallen pins and arrange new ones for the next bowler.

The work was fast-paced, repetitive, and sometimes dangerous – stray bowling balls could easily injure an unlucky pinsetter. In 1936, the invention of the mechanical pinsetter changed the game, making the job unnecessary. Although human pinsetters still exist in rare, vintage-style bowling alleys, the profession as a mainstream job has been gone for decades.

2. The Iceman

Before refrigerators became a household staple, keeping food fresh was a challenge. Enter the iceman, a worker who delivered large blocks of ice to homes and businesses so people could store perishables in iceboxes – the precursors to modern refrigerators.

These men would cut massive chunks of ice from frozen lakes and rivers, then transport them to cities where they were stored in insulated warehouses until delivery. Customers relied on icemen to keep their food from spoiling, but as electric refrigerators became widely available in the mid-20th century, this once-essential profession melted away.

3. The Switchboard Operator

In the early days of the telephone, calls weren’t automatically connected. Instead, switchboard operators manually connected calls by plugging and unplugging phone lines at massive switchboards.

Most operators were women, as companies found them to be more patient and polite when dealing with customers. It was a vital job that required strong memory skills and quick reflexes. However, with the development of automated dialing systems, switchboard operators became unnecessary, and the job faded into history.

4. The Milkman

There was once a time when fresh milk didn’t come from the grocery store—it came straight to your doorstep. Milkmen were responsible for delivering fresh bottles of milk daily, ensuring families had a steady supply before household refrigeration was common.

These deliveries were made early in the morning, with customers returning empty bottles to be cleaned and reused. While a few communities still have independent milk delivery services, the rise of supermarkets and home refrigeration made daily milk deliveries obsolete by the late 20th century.

5. The Gandy Dancer

Laying railroad tracks by hand was a brutal, backbreaking job. Before advanced machinery took over, teams of workers called “gandy dancers” were responsible for aligning and maintaining railroad tracks.

Using a tool known as a gandy bar, these men had to move in perfect unison to straighten the tracks, earning them the nickname due to their rhythmic, almost dance-like movements. Though it was a tough job, it provided steady work – especially for immigrants and marginalized communities. Eventually, machines replaced human track layers, and the job disappeared.

6. The Human Computer

Before modern computers existed, “computers” were actual people – typically women – who performed complex calculations by hand for scientific, military, and engineering purposes.

These human computers played a crucial role in early space exploration, astronomy, and engineering, using pencils, paper, and mathematical tables to solve problems that would take hours or even days to complete. While their work was groundbreaking, the advent of electronic computers in the mid-20th century rendered their job obsolete. The story of human computers gained attention thanks to the movie Hidden Figures, which highlighted the critical contributions of Black women at NASA.

7. The Linotype Operator

The printing industry was once dominated by linotype machines, massive mechanical devices that allowed newspapers and books to be printed far more efficiently than the old letterpress method. Linotype operators used keyboards to create lines of metal type, which were then used to print text.

For nearly a century, linotype was the gold standard in printing, but by the 1970s and 1980s, digital printing technology and phototypesetting made it obsolete. Today, linotype machines are rare artifacts, found mostly in museums or specialty printing shops.

8. The Log Driver

Before trucks and railroads took over, logs were transported by floating them down rivers – a dangerous and highly skilled job known as log driving.

Log drivers, also called “river pigs,” had to guide massive logs downstream, preventing them from getting stuck or forming log jams. They balanced on floating logs, using tools like peaveys to maneuver them through treacherous waters. It was extremely dangerous, requiring agility, balance, and quick thinking. As environmental laws restricted the practice and modern transportation methods improved, log driving was phased out by the late 20th century.

9. The Cigarette Girl

In the golden age of nightclubs, cigarette girls were a common sight, walking through lounges and theaters with trays of cigarettes, candy, and gum strapped around their necks.

They wore eye-catching uniforms, often short skirts with matching hats, and were expected to flirt with customers to boost sales and tips. The role was both a job and a marketing strategy, designed to make cigarette consumption feel glamorous. However, with the rise of vending machines and changing attitudes toward smoking, the cigarette girl largely disappeared. Today, some casinos and upscale venues still employ them for nostalgia, but they are far from the mainstream presence they once were.

10. The Elevator Operator

Before push-button elevators became standard, elevator operators were needed to control the lift manually, ensuring smooth stops at the right floors. They were especially common in department stores and hotels, where they announced floors and offered customer service.

This was considered a skilled job, as operators had to control speed, alignment, and safety mechanisms. But as automatic elevators became widely available, the job faded away. Today, elevator operators still exist in a handful of historic buildings and luxury apartments, but for the most part, they’ve been replaced by simple buttons.

A Changing Workforce

These jobs, while strange by today’s standards, were once essential parts of everyday life. Some were dangerous, others highly skilled, and many were simply replaced by machines. As technology advances, today’s jobs could become tomorrow’s forgotten professions—just like these once-common roles.

So, what do you think? Which of these jobs surprised you the most?