-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
Rebecca CollierJan 22, 2021 10:26 AM (in response to jen kaplan)
4 people found this helpfulDear Ms. Kaplan,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We searched the National Archives Catalog but were unable to locate records pertaining to the first use of a public trash receptacle in the U.S.
We searched the internet and located the following unofficial web sites that may provide background information for what you seek:
- https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/eug%C3%A8ne-poubelle-the-inventor-of-the-trash-can/0gJSFgJzbfSQJg
- https://pages.jh.edu/jhumag/495web/garbage.html
- https://playpowercanada.ca/blog/how-commercial-trash-cans-help-prevent-littering/#top
- https://medium.com/@trashcansunlimitedoutreach/the-history-of-the-trash-can-and-all-its-dirty-secrets-b12c6853e81b
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!
-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
jen kaplan Jan 28, 2021 2:40 PM (in response to Rebecca Collier)Thank you! This is helpful!
-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
history fan Jan 28, 2021 8:18 AM (in response to jen kaplan)4 people found this helpfulYou might also check with the local municipal archives of older cities with long established public parks and beaches, such as Boston (Boston Common and Public Garden) and New York City (among others).
Some records from the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Commission are also digitized on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/bostonparkscommission
As one example, the Minutes of the Boston Parks Commission from March 16, 1910 include a discussion over a refreshment concession stand. No trash cans are mentioned but they do note the need to allocate labor to pick up "stray papers":
https://archive.org/details/minutesofcityofb1910bost/page/10/mode/2up
Here's an earlier reference from 1906 about "trash barrels" at Marine Park:
https://archive.org/details/minutesofcityofb1904bost/page/116/mode/2up?q=trash
Hope this is helpful!
-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
jen kaplan Jan 28, 2021 2:41 PM (in response to history fan)Thank you! This is helpful!
-
-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
Cara Moore LebonickJan 28, 2021 12:13 PM (in response to jen kaplan)
4 people found this helpfulA great book on this topic is Downtown America: A History of the Place and the People Who Made It (Historical Studies of Urban America) by Alison Isenberg in the first chapter. You should be able to find some great resources in the references. I hope this helps, good luck in your course it sounds very interesting!
Best,
Cara Moore Lebonick
National Archives at St. Louis
-
Re: When were the first public litter/trash bins installed?
jen kaplan Jan 28, 2021 2:41 PM (in response to Cara Moore Lebonick)Thank you! This is helpful!
-