36 Industries That Are About To Collapse And Most People Don't Even Realize

The world looks very different to what it once did. Back in the day, people used telegraphs, typewriters, payphones, VHS decoders, film cameras, and even had their ice harvested and delivered. There was no such thing as popping an ice tray into the freezer and waiting a few hours for ice blocks.

Ice harvesting and delivery was actually once a major global industry, which has since disappeared. It would all begin in mid-winter, when lake ice reached a thickness of about 8 to 12 inches. Workers would clear off the snow and use hand chisels and breaker bars to extract big blocks of ice.

The heavy blocks would be transported by railroads, horse-drawn wagons, or ice barges. It'd be delivered to homes and businesses, where it would be kept in ice boxes to keep food from spoiling.

In many cities around the world, street lights turn on automatically at night. It's strange to think that there was a time when people would be employed to manually light street lamps. These lamplighters lit and maintained street lights fueled by gas or oil.

"The electric streetlamp eliminated these jobs by the mid-20th century, remaining only in certain ceremonial settings," reports the History Collection site. "For example, in Bratenahl, Ohio, Colonel Aaron Williams served as the lamplighter from 1898 to 1922, lighting gas street lamps at dusk and extinguishing them at dawn."

Another industry that's all but vanished in most places is that of milk delivery. We pop into the store or order our milk online these days. But there was a time when the milkman would do his rounds every morning, and leave glass bottles at people's doorsteps.

The industry aged like milk between the 1950s and 1970s as supermarkets, home refrigerators, and lightweight plastic or paper cartons took over. But there are some companies that still provide this nostalgic service. 

Many other delivery services have also faded away over the years.

"In the early 20th century, coal was a primary heating source, delivered to homes individually. The rise of natural gas, electricity, and oil heating reduced demand drastically, erasing most coal delivery businesses," reveals the History Collection site, adding that today, home coal delivery is virtually non-existent, with only a few specialized suppliers remaining.

Another rather bizarre job that hardly exists anymore is that of a leech collector. These workers were responsible for retrieving the blood-sucking worms from their natural habitat so that they could be delivered to doctors for medical use.

According to Indeed.com. the leech collectors would use the legs of animals or their own legs to lure leeches from creeks and rivers.

Imagine a world without alarm clocks. It may sound like a dream come true for some. But before people woke to the sound of ringing, buzzing, or even their favorite tune, special workers were employed to do the job.

"Knocker uppers, or knocker-ups, were responsible for waking people up by making loud noises before electronic alarm clocks existed," reports Indeed. "People in the 1800s would hire these individuals to shoot peas at their windows or tap on the glass using a long pole to wake them up."

Medicine has come a long way, and there are specialists for everything under the sun. But at least one type of doctor no longer exists.

"Toad doctors were care providers who used toads to treat medical ailments. Beginning in the 1600s, medical researchers and doctors believed that toads had healing properties, and they began to use toads in the practice of medicine," reveals Indeed. "They used dried powdered toads to soothe inflammation and relieve headaches and skin conditions."

While you might not find a traditional toad doctor at your local clinic, there are some modern underground practitioners who controversially use toad venom or secretions for alternative therapies.