The Mystery of the Stoop Scrapers: A Forgotten History of City Streets

New York City's Hidden History: Why Those Old Stoop Scrapers Exist New York City, like many other major cities, holds secrets within its urban landscape. One such secret lies at the bottom of many older building's stoops: the ubiquitous boot scraper. But why are these scrapers there? The answer, as explained in a recent viral video by history enthusiast Eric, lies in the city's past, specifically in the era before the automobile. "I never noticed the entrance of a lot of old buildings is on the second floor. But why?", Eric points out in his video. The reason, he explains, is the sheer volume of horse manure that once filled city streets. Millions of horses traversed these streets daily, producing an unimaginable amount of waste. Eric's video shows historical images of streets piled high with manure, illustrating the unsanitary conditions of the time. "Literally millions of gallons of urine and millions of pounds of manure were dropped onto the streets", he states. This unsanitary situation necessitated the use of boot scrapers to prevent residents from tracking filth into their homes. The elevated entrances also helped to keep homes cleaner. Eric's video not only reveals a fascinating detail about urban history but also highlights the significant sanitation challenges faced by cities in the pre-automobile era. The simple boot scraper serves as a tangible reminder of a time when horse-drawn transport was king, and the streets were a very different place.