In The Tenements of Chicago, 1908-1935 (1936), Edith Abbott compiled a table showing "tenement dwellers without conveniences." Abbott counted the number of toilets of specific types (in different districts), including: back yard, under sidewalk, on or under a porch, in a basement or hall, or in the apartment itself. Toilets in the backyard, under sidewalk, on porch, or in the basement were often added to the housing well after construction, while toilets in a hall or in the apartment themselves were generally installed when the building was constructed.

Author: Edith Abbott
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37417)