April Wamhoff

I think a lot of you can relate to the evolution of our “cabins.” We started with just the land, building up as time and money could afford. And we upgraded as time went on. With the electricity came lights that magically came on with switches, a refrigerator and eventually indoor water pumped from the lake. Say goodbye to late night lake baths (on good days we called these “refreshing.”) and 5-gallon buckets hauled up for dishes and dog water. (Yup, the dogs played in the water all day and then ran all the way to the house for the “special water.”) Later, came electric heaters to make it usable for more of the year. The addition of the septic system provided the luxury of an indoor bathroom. And with that came the “almost retirement” of the outhouse.
The outhouse has been employed as a cabin luxury for about 35 years. I realize as I scrape the walls to get ready for the next painting, it is the oldest building on the property. I wonder how many more times it will be worth painting. And don’t get me wrong, I like my indoor plumbing as much as the next guy, but I would rather miss it if it were gone.
The little 4X4 shed started its life as a building for the railroad. The story goes that it housed electrical components at the railroad switches, and it still bears the number 9 on the walls, both inside and out. Do you suppose when you were inside it was hard to remember it was number 9 from the outside? Course, when you’re talking about a train you don’t want to be making any mistakes. Well, when it was no longer needed by the railroad, my island neighbor disassembled it and brought it to the island in 5 pieces. I am not sure what he used it for or how long he had it, but he eventually gave it to my parents.
There, it began its humble career as an outhouse, and it still stands at the edge of the yard today. It seems like a reminder of older times and simpler days, both for island living and for society in general. It too was upgraded along the way and now has lights and a heater we can turn on from inside the cabin, but its purpose remains the same. It is an outhouse.
On the way to indoor plumbing and the outhouses’ retirement, we dabbled with composting toilets, but we have always maintained the outhouse for a back-up. There still is a use for it during the winter when the water lines are in danger of freezing or for dirty folks during the summer on their way to a real clean-up. Or for just when the indoor one is in use. Sometimes I wander out there on nice days just for the sake of nostalgia. I keep paper out there, just in case.
I wonder how many other railroad switch houses are still in service today, in any capacity. I am glad to have this one. I will scrape, paint and replace boards where necessary to keep and save the Number 9 Outhouse for as long as I can. It is cute and useful out there on the edge of the yard. And I like it.