Estimation of Economies of Scale in Nineteenth Century United States Manufacturing

On economies of scale during the nineteenth century, much is assumed, but little is known. This study, first published in 1985, seeks to close this gap in our knowledge by providing comprehensive empirical evidence on the status of economies of scale in mid-nineteenth century manufacturing industry. This evidence is in the form of production function estimates made using data from the manuscripts of the federal censuses of manufacturing for 1850, 1860 and 1870.