100 years ago, California only had one indoor toilet. It was in the Governors Mansion in Sacramento.
So while we could not invent flushing toilets until then, we were previously able to develop highly technical weather monitoring equipment.
Yea, right.
Between the ranges of 41F and 120+F, the traditional mercury bulb thermometer remains extremely accurate when read by a competent observer; the modern machines are designed to be self-calibrating and there word is gospel.
The WBAN manual lists the requirements for the location, design and construction of a classic instrument shelter in the (then) interests of uniform measuring procedures; since the advent and adoption of the automated units all that is largely ignored.