What’s Hiding in Backyards?
December 23, 2024
Source: GBH
Unearthing New England’s Forgotten Underground Garbage Cans
A few weeks ago, a friend called me over to check out something weird in their backyard. Tucked under some leaves and surrounded by dried grass was a rusted metal hatch. It looked solid—heavy-duty—and was stamped with “Somerville, Mass.” We couldn’t figure out what it was. A water tank? An old utility vault? After some digging (both literal and on Google), the mystery was solved: it was an underground garbage can. These underground garbage cans were quite the find and got us really curious about their history.
If you’ve never seen one before, you’re not alone. These buried trash cans were once a common sight in New England neighborhoods, but they’ve become a bit of a forgotten relic. For decades, they were a practical solution to an everyday problem—one that now feels like a quaint piece of history.
Life Before Curbside Pickup
Rewind to the mid-20th century, when suburban New England homes relied on metal trash cans instead of the big plastic bins we use today. Instead, trash went into metal cans, which had their own set of issues.
Bad weather knocked them over, rust ate away at them, and raccoons and other critters turned them into open buffets.
The underground garbage can was New England’s answer to these problems. Picture a sturdy metal container buried partway in the ground, with just its lid visible at the surface. Trash stayed hidden, smells stayed contained, and animals couldn’t get to it. For homeowners, it was simple: toss your trash into the can, close the lid, and forget about it until trash day.
The sanitation workers of the time had a system for these cans, too. They’d open the hatch, haul the container out of the ground, empty it, and put it back in place. It wasn’t the most high-tech setup, but it worked for underground garbage disposal.
Why Did They Disappear?
By the 1970s, underground garbage cans started to fade away. The main reason? Convenience. Curbside pickup became the new standard, and with it came lighter, more portable trash bins that were easier to move and empty.
There were also some practical downsides to the underground cans. Over time, they could fill with water or rust out completely, especially in New England’s harsh winters. Maintaining them wasn’t always easy, and many homeowners eventually had them sealed or removed altogether.
Still, for a while, they were a clever solution to a messy problem—and they fit right in with New England’s resourceful, no-nonsense attitude.
Rediscovering a Forgotten Relic
Finding one of these old cans today is like stumbling upon a time capsule. They’re often tucked away in backyards, forgotten under a layer of dirt and leaves, their lids still stamped with the name of the town or the manufacturer, like “Somerville” or “F.S. Jones.”
You’d be surprised how creative people get with these old garbage cans. Some turn them into planters or quirky yard decorations that make for great conversation starters. Others just leave them where they are, appreciating them as a cool little piece of history. It’s kind of funny to think that something as ordinary as a trash can could hold so many stories about how people used to tackle everyday problems.
A Glimpse into the Past
There’s something endearing about these old underground garbage cans. They’re practical, sure, but they also carry a sense of ingenuity from a time when people found clever ways to deal with everyday challenges. They’re a reminder of how much life has changed—not just in the way we handle trash, but in how we think about convenience and efficiency.
So, the next time you’re walking through an old New England neighborhood or poking around your backyard, keep an eye out. That rusty metal hatch might just be one of those underground garbage cans, a forgotten piece of history, waiting to tell its story.