outhouse

[ozsarah]

Hi I am Sarah from Osawatomie, Ks. I live in a home that I was told was built in 1910 however upon further research I found out the house was built in 1905. I went to City Hall, Court Records and Mapping and although everyone was trying to be helpful I did not get very far. Today I was told the house could have been on a cistern well instead of having an outhouse. Nobody has any records to help...how do I go about starting to look. A relative suggested that if there was an outhouse it would have been a direct line from the back door. Than you in Advance

 

[Rookster]

Welcome from Mississippi.

 

[Javadroid]

You've found a great place for information and fellow treasure hunters -- welcome to our community!

 

[Javadroid]

Hi I am Sarah from Osawatomie, Ks. I live in a home that I was told was built in 1910 however upon further research I found out the house was built in 1905. I went to City Hall, Court Records and Mapping and although everyone was trying to be helpful I did not get very far. Today I was told the house could have been on a cistern well instead of having an outhouse. Nobody has any records to help...how do I go about starting to look. A relative suggested that if there was an outhouse it would have been a direct line from the back door. Than you in Advance

Out of curiosity, why do you want to know this? There is a truth that an old outhouse is a great place to find lost coins and other pocket relics, but if yours existed and it was filled in, there's a probability most of what was dropped, so to speak, is too far underground for a detector to pick up signal-wise...

 

[against the wind]

Welcome to the forum from Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Welcome to the forum!

IMHO: When I'm looking for a outhouse seek round or square (+/- 3 foot) areas where the ground is settling (depressions), then probe with a rod or dig a pilot hole. Others will also give you some great ideas.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting

 

[vpnavy]

Welcome Aboard Sarah! Take a look at Sub-Forums: Kansas for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your state.

 

[Megalodon]

Welcome from Maryland. I too like to know the location of the outhouse. Outhouse visits at night, in poor weather, maybe carrying a candle, make for dropped keys, coins, etc. The first two things I want to know about an old homesite: outhouse and clothes line location.

A cistern would have provided water to bathe, wash clothes, cook and drink (best filtered).

 

[jeff of pa]

welcome !

some Use Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to locate Outhouses, (If they can find Them)
Not All areas Have Maps available.

But Yes if there is a Sidewalk that Runs From your Back Door
to the Back of the Property
That is the General Location.

Easy to Walk at in the Middle of the Night.
and Smell is as Far from the House as Possible.





Examples




My Suggestion would be to ask in our
Bottles & Glass

Section.

As That is what I'm sure Your Looking For
& Most of Our Outhouse Diggers Post their Finds There.
They are More Likely to be able to give Hints.

If your Property Goes into the 1800's Expect Both Sides of the walk to have been Used over the Years Expect that the Location May have Been Moved
Several Times. Especially Where Big Families Lived.

Figure at last occasionally a Family would start digging a New one & hit Trash or Ashes, Causing them to Look for a 3rd. or 4th. Spot in the same General Area.





& Yes ! I am old Enough To be Going By
Were Outhouses Still Existed in My Early years



Good Luck !

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Just some points to make in agreement with some of the other statements on this thread.

I put the first running water, toilet, and septic tank in my house here in 1983.

The outhouse was directly out the back door.

There's a very noticeable depression in the ground where it stood.

Edit: I always checked under the seat for spiders before I sat down!!! Granny always said "watch out for the spiders".

 

[Hawks88]

Welcome to tnet. From Niagara Falls

 

[jeff of pa]

Just some points to make in agreement with some of the other statements on this thread.

I put the first running water, toilet, and septic tank in my house here in 1983.

The outhouse was directly out the back door.

There's a very noticeable depression in the ground where it stood.

Edit: I always checked under the seat for spiders before I sat down!!! Granny always said "watch out for the spiders".

first septic Tank & Bathroom80's or 90's here too.
Did have running water to the Kitchen But everything ran to the Gutter out Front.

Last one I tore down was in the early 2000's it was falling down, & was almost filled with trash already, Just needed Leveling.
I topped it off with the ashes from My Burn Barrel.

Sat in the area of the Red X

 

[River Rat]

 

[CaptainCoil]

Welcome to TNET!

 

[A2coins]

Welcome from Ann Arbor Tommy

 

[Possum]

Hello andwelcome from Southeast Louisiana... "D"