Jan 20, 2023 · According to Dollar Shave Club, American outhouses had one corn cob, and one cob only, hanging on a string in them. That means that their use was communal; entire families (or schools, or church congregations) would use the same one.

Jan 25, 2024 · Actually corn cobs are soft. Thrown in hole where went to bathroom in outhouse. Either outhouse had to be moved, or poop had to dug out and put in manure wagon which farmers spread in fields.

Aug 15, 1986 · You may not believe this, but it was once common practice in rural America to leave a corncob hanging from a string in the outhouse for purposes of personal hygiene. The string, I gather, was to permit the cob to be reused.

The first settlers of the U.S. quickly figured out that the shape of the corn cob made it ideal for such an off-label use (provided the kernels were removed). However, early outhouses only had one corn cob each, meaning that entire families, schools, and …

Apr 8, 2014 · Sitting next to the lime was a bag of corncobs. The corn had been shelled from the cobs to be used as feed for our chickens and the clean cobs were re-bagged and used in the place of toilet paper.

An outhouse — known variously across the English-speaking world otherwise as bog, dunny, long-drop, or privy — is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet , but other forms of dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered.

Aug 14, 2002 · They absolutely had an outhouse where they hung a catalogue, both Sears and Montgomery Wards, and they also had a bucket of dried corn cobs. My mom, who grew up in the city remembers visiting relatives in the “country” in the 1930’s and 40’s who had catalogues and corn cobs in the outhouse.

Nov 29, 2022 · In rural America, it was still common practice at the time to leave a corncob hanging from a string in the outhouse for people to wipe themselves with: Once the kernels were removed and the cob allowed to dry, the remaining kernel …

Oct 11, 2018 · One of the more popular early American wiping objects was the dried corn cob. A variety of other objects were also used, including leaves, handfuls of straw, and seashells. As paper became more prominent and expendable, early Americans began using newspapers, catalogs, and magazines to wipe.

Nov 29, 2022 · Even after toilet paper became available, some people in Western states still preferred corncobs when using the outhouse. What is a good substitute for toilet paper? What are the best alternatives to toilet paper?