Even by the early 20th century, that figure remained staggeringly high, with the continued settlement of the American West helping to feed and fuel the country’s ever-growing population. COWBOYSWilliam Cody Buffalo Bill Frontier Man | Universal History Archive/GettyImagesCowboy is perhaps the most obvious job on this list, but it’s perhaps also one of the most misunderstood. MINERSMachinery Used For Crushing Silver Ore In Nevada | Universal History Archive/GettyImagesCoal was a relatively cheap and readily available fuel source in 19th-century America, which helped power the immense industrial expansion that continued throughout the Frontier Era. By 1850, there were a staggering 100,000 blacksmiths working across the United States, supplying everything from horseshoes to agricultural equipment to the communities in which they worked. As a result, both printing and the journalism that it supported proved hugely important in the Frontier era, with several of America’s most notable newspapers and newspaper writers emerging at that time.