Wash Day

At the turn of the century and early 1900's, who ever heard of automatic washers and dryers ? This copper boiler, belonging to my G'ma Schultz, was filled with water from the well or cistern, then set atop the iron topped cook stove to heat up, emptied into the wringer washing machine, and dirty laundry was washed. Whites and light colored, lightly soiled items washed first, darker things next and the dirtiest of the dirty ( those farmer overalls worn working with animals and out in the fields) done last. All this laundry was hung out to dry on "clotheslines" usually strung up between two trees. There was nothing better than laying down at night on clean sheets dried in that country fresh air. Although we had hot running water in the 50's when I was growing up, the rest of the routine was much the same. I bought this boiler in South Dakota at my Uncle Lehman's farm sale.