Friday, April 19, 2024

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The Lansing Journal journeys: Two-Story Outhouse (aka, “The Skycrapper”)

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submitted by Tom and Terri Stallinga

“We took the latest print edition of The Lansing Journal — hot off the presses on Friday — with us for our Memorial Day Weekend camping trip,” wrote Tom and Terri Stallinga. On their way down, explained Terri, they stopped in the small town of Gays, Illinois, to visit “what they affectionately call, ‘The Skycrapper,’ a two-story outhouse. It used to have a two-story motel attached to it, but that is long gone.”

journeys
Terri and Tom Stallinga had the forethought to bring The Lansing Journal along on their Memorial Day Weekend camping trip, which included a stop at the Skycrapper. “Unfortunately, door number one and door number two were both locked!” wrote Terri. (Photo: Terri Stallinga, proudly using “our trusty selfie stick!”)

The Stallingas were also thoughtful enough to include a photo of the information sheet that was posted at the site:

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The information sheet reads: “Thanks for visiting The World Renown Historical Two Story Outhouse. Outhouses are original piece of history. They are disappearing with no proof that they ever existed. Outhouses were once an important part of everyday life, and their historic contribution should be recorded for prosperity. The outhouse is a fast disappearing piece of architecture. The young people hardly know anything about these little structures and have no understanding of the lifestyle that went with them. Preserving history is our goal. Thanks for visiting. Signed, Two Story Outhouse.”

About The Lansing Journal Journeys

The Lansing Journal Journeys is an award-winning feature that showcases people displaying The Lansing Journal in creative locations.

We initiated the series because we are a community newspaper, and we like to see community faces in our pages and community names in our photo credits.

To participate, your location doesn’t have to be exotic or far; it just has to have The Lansing Journal in it somewhere. Email photos to [email protected] and tell us:

  1. The names of any people (or animals) in the photo
  2. Some information about the location
  3. The name of the person who took the photo

We’ll publish them online as soon as possible. Make sure you are subscribed, so you see your photos when we post them!

Melanie Jongsma
Melanie Jongsma
Melanie Jongsma grew up in Lansing, Illinois, and believes The Lansing Journal has an important role to play in building community through trustworthy information.