How It Was Done-

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:16 am

before we started dumping in our municipal drinking water systems

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:31 am

Where's the Montgomery Ward catalog?

wm · Post by wm » Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:51 am

Is that a two holer? I was always told that two holers were best because the men could encourage each other and women never go alone if they can help it..

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:01 am

I don't recall ever having seen a residential out-house of that quality construction.

Only high usage depositories at government buildings, rest stops, and court houses have out-houses that nice.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:10 pm

The outhouses and corral slop eventually poisoned the water table on our family homestead up north. A proper septic system and dugout water was the solution. I remember using the original log outhouse at 40 below and with the local wasp and bulldog (massive horse fly) population in the summer. I really appreciate my cities sewer system and clean cool water. A guy could get the trots from that dugout water late summer!

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:20 pm

Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:23 pm

mikld wrote:Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?

So nobody can sneak up behind ya!! Remember what happened to Wild Bill Hickok?

Merle · Post by **Merle** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 1:57 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Where's the Montgomery Ward catalog?

For me it was a Sears catalog - but NOT the color pages.....

Booger Bill · Post by **Booger Bill** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 3:38 pm

I was working down south and seen a outhouse with a large stack of red corn cobs and a smaller white stack. I asked the guy what that was about? He said the white ones were to check with.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 2:35 am

Grew up using outhouses and honey buckets. We kept our honey bucket on an enclosed room on the porch, to keep the smell out of the house. No one yet was using the bags and stuff, and this fall was actually the first time I was in a camp with Incinolets and waterless urinals.

The styrofoam is warm as soon as you sit on it and keeps the seat from sticking to your skin in the winter.

No one used wells, our water came from the creek, and most people not close to a creek used rain catchment systems for water, so water table quality was not a concern.

Locking people in outhouses was great fun, of course. I was never involved in any of the more serious tricks, like moving the outhouse back so the hole was right in front of the door, or tipping an outhouse over. I think it was because where we were people dug the holes deep, but no one really did that kind of stuff there.

When I was at scout camp once, they guys were locking each other in the outhouses and leaving each other for long periods of time. I walked back in the woods behind the cabin and hidden in the overgrown brush was an old outhouse that had not been used in years. I started sneaking away to use that outhouse - no one locked me in, and besides, it didn't smell bad, an no one peed on the seat. The other boys, watching for their chance to lock me in the outhouse, became very concerned that I was not using the outhouse and confronted me. They told me I would get sick if I was not going, and promised they would not lock me in, and would even guard the door to make sure no one did!

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:30 am

I think it would be appropriate to leave some poetry here. This poem was written about a brave lady in Alaska, whose outhouse was built on a steep hill, with the door facing uphill. One night she dumped bacon grease down the outhouse. The next morning, she had to go . . .

She sat in the outhouse without a care
'till she heard a noise from that hole down there.
She did something you and I wouldn't dare
the day she peed on a grizzly bear!

1894 · Post by **1894** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 9:01 am

I like a room with a view

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:31 pm

How's this for fancy? Anyone who has ever been to Mt. Vernon will recognize one of many.

Outhouse-Privy-George-Washingtons-Mount-Vernon.jpg

exterior.JPG

interior.jpg

interior2.jpg

Talk about social activities

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 4:25 pm

The old cabin and out house.
I started going to this deer camp in the early 70's at 12 years old.
My Dad got his first deer (spike buck) at this cabin in 1966.
Many years of never to be forgotten memories.
Cabin & water was heated with an old cook stove.
Gravity fed water from a spring up on the mountain provided very cold clean water to the kitchen sink.
I stopped by the old place while out that way the summer of 1998 and took these pictures.
We stopped going there in the late eighties. Cabin was sold.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 4:45 pm

on the boats the WC had this in it, with a toilet seat, and a roll of paper. and a latch, inside only.

you use it, you dump it, and refill 1/4 with seawater.

and

AND

DUMP IT DOWN WIND ! !

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 7:23 pm

FWiedner wrote:I don't recall ever having seen a residential out-house of that quality construction.

One of mine was. It was built on a concrete vault, as per county regs. Old outhouses were grandfathered in, new ones had to be built with a concrete vault. My house was 5' square, and the back side of it was my power shed, with the batteries for the solar, the inverter, and backup generator.

The seat looking towards the door is for the view. I had a great view of the mountains. More leg room for standing, getting your clothes back squared away etc with the seat at the back. I kept an 8 gallon metal trash can with wood ashes in there also. A scoop or two after each use kept most of the smell and the flies down.

This was my view from my favorite outhouse,

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 9:48 pm

Very nice Bill

I will have to take a picture of the one at the cabin, never thought to take a picture of it

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 9:50 pm

I must object since "STYROFOAM" is a trademark of my employer!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:23 am

and not to be forgotten the classic Bumper-Dumper.

EdinCT · Post by **EdinCT** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:47 am

We used to hang the seat behind the woodstove in Vermont to keep it warm. We would just carry it out drop the bolts through the holes and take it back inside when finished.
I also have to wonder my Great Grandfather's place had a five hole house, big family

. No modesty there I guess. And my dad said if you wanted something from Sears you ripped that page out and hung on to it.

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 11:25 am

mikld wrote:Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?

Seriously fellers. I've been thinking about this for a couple days and the only thing I can come up with is tradition. Why does the seat face the door? Why not have the seat against a side wall with the door to the left or right of the seating area? I've been in a few outhouses, from really old/rickety shacks down in Mexico to modern all fiberglass units, but all seats face the door...

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 11:36 am

My grandparents house had an outhouse up into the early 70s. The tub was inside, but the toilet was outside. Their outhouse was a 2 holer and yes the toilets were mounted to the side and did not face the door. I believe it is highly probable that they had a 2 holer because they had 9 kids and not because they were being uppity!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:34 pm

mikld wrote:
mikld wrote:Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?
Seriously fellers. I've been thinking about this for a couple days and the only thing I can come up with is tradition. Why does the seat face the door? Why not have the seat against a side wall with the door to the left or right of the seating area? I've been in a few outhouses, from really old/rickety shacks down in Mexico to modern all fiberglass units, but all seats face the door...

One of the guys that owned that cabin I posted the pictures of.
If he got back to the cabin before dark would take his model 94 .32 SPL. along with him to the outhouse and leave the door proped open and deer hunt while taking care of business. He told us young guys, ya just never know.

Merle · Post by **Merle** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:35 pm

mikld wrote:
mikld wrote:Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?
Seriously fellers. I've been thinking about this for a couple days and the only thing I can come up with is tradition. Why does the seat face the door? Why not have the seat against a side wall with the door to the left or right of the seating area? I've been in a few outhouses, from really old/rickety shacks down in Mexico to modern all fiberglass units, but all seats face the door...

Well, that's obvious! In case you have to make a QUICK EXIT !!!!

Merle · Post by **Merle** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:38 pm

casastahle wrote:
mikld wrote:
mikld wrote:Why does the hole/seat always face the door of an outhouse?
Seriously fellers. I've been thinking about this for a couple days and the only thing I can come up with is tradition. Why does the seat face the door? Why not have the seat against a side wall with the door to the left or right of the seating area? I've been in a few outhouses, from really old/rickety shacks down in Mexico to modern all fiberglass units, but all seats face the door...
One of the guys that owned that cabin I posted the pictures of.
If he got back to the cabin before dark would take his model 94 .32 SPL. along with him to the outhouse and leave the door proped open and deer hunt while taking care of business. He told us young guys, ya just never know.

Now that's a pretty good example of saving energy.

My buddy Larry that grew up in Minnesota told me a better one: walk into the lake very slowly & don't stir up any mud. That way you can wash your clothes, take a bath & get a drink all at the same time!!!

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:32 pm

So quick, quick, without looking it up, why do outhouses have moons on them?

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:14 pm

What's going on here?

Merle · Post by **Merle** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:19 pm

7.62 Precision wrote:What's going on here?

I'm not all that sure I want to know....

dsmith512 · Post by **dsmith512** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:00 pm

How about those ancient Roman Out Houses? Nice cold marble.

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/public-t ... 208826.jpg

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:33 pm

Outhouse races!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:49 pm

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outhouse

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:50 pm

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... 926AAFlY2d

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:34 pm

http://fairbanks.uber.matchbin.net/book ... use-racing

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:48 pm

casastahle wrote:https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... 926AAFlY2d

I said "without looking it up!"

Actually it goes back even further to taverns and roadhouses. The better establishments had privies so you did not have to do it on the ground or in the open. So men would not use the women's outhouse, they used the universal symbol for women, the moon, on the women's loo, and the masculine sun on the men's john.

However, outhouses took work to build and maintain, so it became common for establishments to build outhouses only for women and leave the men to resort to the woods, meaning the only outhouses had moons on them. This led to the tradition of moons on outhouses.

1894 · Post by **1894** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:45 am

1894 · Post by **1894** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:57 am

casastahle wrote: One of the guys that owned that cabin I posted the pictures of.
If he got back to the cabin before dark would take his model 94 .32 SPL. along with him to the outhouse and leave the door proped open and deer hunt while taking care of business. He told us young guys, ya just never know.

At the camp we used to stay at ( now our neighbors ) one morning one of the guys looked out the window and said " Hey there's a bear out there "
We watched it wander around a bit , then it walked up to the outhouse and stuck his head right in the door

At the very old ( original ) camp the old wooden seat was always brought inside after each use. Not just to keep it warm when it was cold out but also because the porcupines would chew on it

You never know when a deer might walk by either :

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:11 am

7.62 Precision wrote:http://fairbanks.uber.matchbin.net/book ... use-racing

aint that the truth

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:41 am

1894 wrote:
casastahle wrote: One of the guys that owned that cabin I posted the pictures of.
If he got back to the cabin before dark would take his model 94 .32 SPL. along with him to the outhouse and leave the door proped open and deer hunt while taking care of business. He told us young guys, ya just never know.
At the camp we used to stay at ( now our neighbors ) one morning one of the guys looked out the window and said " Hey there's a bear out there "
We watched it wander around a bit , then it walked up to the outhouse and stuck his head right in the door

At the very old ( original ) camp the old wooden seat was always brought inside after each use. Not just to keep it warm when it was cold out but also because the porcupines would chew on it

You never know when a deer might walk by either :

Nice

Gaucho Gringo · Post by **Gaucho Gringo** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:29 pm

dsmith512 wrote:How about those ancient Roman Out Houses? Nice cold marble.

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/public-t ... 208826.jpg

Actually the Roman toilets pictured have more in common with today's toilets than outhouses as they were inside building. They had a continuous flow of water running under them and a sewage system to take the waste away just like today and that was 2,000 years ago. Indoor plumbing was not a modern invention.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:37 pm

1894 wrote:

Someone reads Tundra!

yooper2 · Post by **yooper2** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:46 pm

We had an outhouse here at the farm until 1987 when we put in running water with a septic. I do not miss black fly bites on my backside or strapping on snowshoes to get out there in the winter.

Eric

Edit: We also carried in the seat after every use and put it by the stove.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:32 pm

Tree stand hunters can indeed relate to this