No. 120, November, 2009
Journal
Bath Night On The Farm
By Delores Miller
Yes, I did grow up on a dairy and hog farm in Wisconsin during the 1940s. This was a 'home' farm my Father William Zillmer took over from his father and grandfather. Eight children were in Pa's family, he was the only one to stay on the home place. The others, scattered to the big cities. But they all managed to come back 'home' every few weeks, staying for a few days or longer. Especially during the depression.
It was a barter system, they brought fine goods not available to our secluded farm, we sent back meat, berries, fruit, potatoes and especially eggs.
But the nicest thing they brought, tied to the top of a Model A Ford automobile was a Kohler Bathtub with claw feet. Kohler made bathroom fixtures from day one in Eastern Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. We were one of the few farm families who could boast a bath tub, other neighbors had to make due with 'sponge' baths.
A cistern held rainwater in the cellar, cold clear drinking water was piped in to the house from the well by the barn. A Monarch wood cook stove with a resevoir filled with water that heated automatically.
The claw-footed bathtub was placed in an unheated back room, a drain was attached and the waste water piped out to the pig yard.
Saturday night was bath night on the farm. Heated water, even in summer on that wood cookstove.
Being the youngest, I did get the new fresh water. Oh, how I enjoyed being the first one. Home made lye soap, gradually Ivory soap bars which left a scum. Especially if we had to use 'hard' water if the cistern went dry.
Then it was my Mother's turn, followed by my two older brothers, then my Father. Oh, how dirty that water must have been by then. But we did scrub clean. The weekly clean set of clothing.
And then, yes, it was church on Sunday morning after the Saturday night bath.
About 1950 we did get modern. And a bathroom was installed. A new tub with hot and cold water, a flush toilet and sink. Oh, how modern we were.
But still the habit of all bathing in the same water, adding hot water when a new person dunked in and cleaned for Sunday.
And now, even though we were farmers, each of us took hot showers every night and the Saturday night bath is only a memory.
copyright 2009, Delores and Russell Miller