Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
This water pump was used in the home of Nick and Alma Thompson. These pumps relied on human strength (and endurance) to pump well water into the home. Courtesy photo.
Chamber pots were a convenient alternative to making a trek to the outhouse in the middle of the night (or in the midst of the storm). This particular item dates to the early 1900s and was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Munson. Courtesy photo.
If you've never taken a look at the Eddy County history book, "Century of Sowers," I encourage you to. Written in 1983 this book was printed in celebration of the county's centennial anniversary. Now there aren't many copies in circulation, but luckily anyone can access the full book on the Digital Horizons website at https://digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/.
Most recently, I consulted the book regarding the installation of running water in county homes. This interest developed after a conversation at the tail end of a museum meeting. It's in those golden moments after the meeting has adjourned yet folks are still around that historic conversations begin.
The topic began when one of the board members shared their growing interest in author Tom Askjem, who is becoming well known for the antique glass bottles he finds whilst digging up former outhouse sites. Soon there was an outflowing of shared experiences of life without running water. I eagerly listened to stories about outhouses and chamber pots, as well as hauling water from the well and taking baths in a washtub by the fire.
When I searched "A Century of Sowers" for the term "running water" I came up with two hits which, when placed side by side, provide an insight to the changing meaning of the term over 40 years.
Page 5 includes a collection of letters written by Mrs. William Larrabee. One passage, written in 1877, reads, "Herds of antelope pass near grazing as they go, for in this valley is fine grass and running water, which is not often to be found, for you may travel many miles on the prairie without finding water." For Mrs. Larrabee, running water was an element of the landscape, not a potential amenity.
Page 125 details agricultural developments of the early 20th century. By 1917, life on the prairie was beginning to change, as agriculture was measured by the size of farms and machinery. At this time the F.S. Dunham farm contained "1872 acres and had all modern conveniences such as plumbing – hot and cold running water."
While I haven't yet found the details as to when indoor plumbing became the norm in Eddy County, I can extrapolate from the stories I heard and venture to say it wasn't until the 1970s or maybe even into the 1980s – the decade in which I was born – that running water was a common amenity in Eddy County. What a shift in perspective for me!
