In the 1800s, hosiery businessman LaMarcus Thompson hated that Americans were tempted by hedonistic places like saloons and brothels. So, he set out to straighten up the most immoral places he could think of: Coney Island in New York. There he built America's first roller coaster to give New Yorkers some clean fun- distract them from their sins.
Before toilet paper was invented, Americans used corn cobs. Alternatively, they used periodicals like the Farmers Almanac, which was designed with a hole so it could hang in out houses.
Credit: Readers Digest
Credit: Readers Digest