Although Victorians may have had a full bath only once a week, usually on Saturday night, they did clean themselves daily with a rag, pitcher and wash basin. Used wash water was poured into a slop jar which could then be used to water plants. Toilet facilities would have consisted of a privy or outhouse located far enough from the house to keep odors and flies away from the house. Toilet paper would have been rags, newspaper, leaves and even dried cornhusks. A chamber pot might also have been found under the bed for use when it was too cold and dark to go outside. Emptying the chamber pot in the morning was a job for the children.
The sitzbath on the wall was used by officers at Fort Lewis, located near Hesperus. After the military post closed, the tub was acquired by the Dwyers, an Animas City pioneer family.
