Flipping switches and turning knobs without a thought is second nature to us. We don't even think about it as the electricity and water flow to meet our every demand. The lights go on, the appliance does its job, and water instantly appears to wash our hands and shower.
How lost we are without them when something happens to cause us not to have them at our disposal. How unprepared we are moving about in the dark or getting anything done without water. A simple camping trip of having to haul in water for everyday needs quickly gives the picture of what it was like years ago when this was all people knew, as well as today in remote or poor areas of the world where flowing and clean water is still a luxury. This week's column, as part of the "virtual tour" series of the Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum, takes a look back at some of the history of the wonder of water at our fingertips.
The nostalgic glimpse of the past has included the kitchen of the lighthouse as it was over a century ago including the wood burning stove, wooden washtub, icebox and one of the first electric refrigerators. All were great conveniences for the woman and her homemaking duties. Considering that water was so essential for most tasks, it is no wonder that a hand pump inside the house in the kitchen would be a welcome addition to save time and one's back. The grounds at the lighthouse have an outdoor pump that would have been used for a well, but the kitchen also features a pump that is said to have made water available from a cistern tank located below in an area of the basement. Unlike a well that is dug into the ground to tap into a groundwater source and lined with rock, a cistern is a covered tank that is used to store water. It is made from a waterproof material such as concrete or masonry so that it can hold liquid and is most often designed to catch and store rainwater.
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The Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum has a kitchen featuring many items from the 1800s, including a hand pump and cistern.
Today we might think about how rainwater consumption, particularly off a roof could be healthy for family use. This was hardly a concern in the 1800s or rural areas in the following decades when industry caused pollution in the cities. Rainwater was thought to have a pleasant taste and it was a well-known beauty treatment for washing hair. Cisterns can be purchased today and are used to save on water costs and for water conservation. They are used for a backup water supply in dry areas and can be used for drinking water storage, but with today's standards often have a filter system. Modern-day cisterns, like wells, should be inspected from time to time for contaminants and can be cleaned with appropriate dilutions of chlorine.
Cisterns have also been historically used around the world to store water for firefighting in areas that don't have an adequate supply of water. With Lake Erie, this was not a problem for the lighthouse or the city of Dunkirk. However, just as the lighthouse home had the convenience of "indoor plumbing" with easy access to water as early as 1875, the need for an adequate supply of water in the city became glaringly evident when a massive fire swept through Dunkirk in 1868, wiping out approximately 30 buildings in the business district near the harbor between Front (First) and Second Streets. Starting at Koch Brothers Grocery store, the fire spread quickly from high winds through the wooden structures. According to a booklet called "Centennial," which was published in 1980 to celebrate the history of Dunkirk, this tragedy urged city officials to establish a water system for the village. An act passed by the State Legislature in 1871 commenced with "the crib in the lake, pumping machinery, 10 miles of pipe and 64 hydrants for a cost of $100,000." Twenty-five year bonds were issued to help pay for the project. As good as it was for the time, it is curious to note that "in stormy weather, water often was so dirty that it could not be used for drinking without first boiling it. Many times, leaves clogged the pipes and fish drifted up the mains to the hydrants." The book also noted that as the city grew there was a need for sewers, although it was "met with much opposition. Some people could not understand the necessity and had to be educated to the need for sewers."
A tour through the lighthouse home is one fun and informative way to remember, learn, or think about what life was like over a century ago. As far as this series of columns, we have not even left the kitchen yet! The tower was highlighted a few weeks ago with its hauntings and distance of the light beam figured using similar triangle trigonometry, but research in the kitchen has led to discovering fun trivia such as the wood burning stove being manufactured in Geneva, New York and the first electric refrigerator nicknamed after a Civil War ship. The hand pump and cistern are just two more examples of a look in the past with connections to contemporary times. With some analysis, we see that the modern toilet tank is a type of cistern that holds water in reserve with the correct amount required to flush the bowl. The tour will continue through other rooms with their numerous artifacts from the past. Make it a good week and go to www.dunkirklightouse.com for more information.
Send comments on this column to lifestyles@observertoday.com
Submitted Photo
The Dunkirk Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum has a kitchen featuring many items from the 1800s, including a hand pump and cistern.
