I left out quite a few families to avoid too much repetition on the jobs. The majority of the ancestors were farmers in some capacity - some small, some vast. The operation of grist mills was another popular occupation. Innkeepers [taverns, public houses] were also fairly common. Several immigrants came over as members of the textile business. Tanners, paper makers, doctors, veterinarians, blacksmiths and wheelwrights dotted the landscape as well. As the families moved to the cities day laborers, carpenters, night watchmen, tool and die makers and other urbanized jobs began to appear.
To find out about your ancestors' livelihoods, try checking city and county directories, probate files [listing disposition of farmsteads, listing tools, etc.], town histories and census records to get started. Be aware of terms like laborer, mechanic or other generic occupations. Your carpenter could be listed as a mechanic - a person who worked with his hands, not a car repair guy! That of course could be the case as the 20th century progressed.
Then there's the horse thief, mobster, moonshiner or pirate to deal with!
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