I'm not sure if this was one book or a series of books.  What I do remember is:

1) Children/YA fiction set at the turn of the century in the U.S.
2) Main character was a young boy
3) Believe the main character was the youngest of all his brothers

Plot points:

1) Young boys Indian wrestling
2) Main character given the chore of churning the ice cream
3) Some sort of outlaw hiding in the barn with a Bowie knife
4) Father installs indoor bathroom, which I believe they referred to
as a water closet

I don't know a publication date but I would have read this book
between 1975 and 1985.

Hello Mjmalj,

It sounds like you're describing "The Great Brain" (1972) by John D. Fitzgerald.

The main character, J.D. (John D.), aged 8, is the youngest of three
brothers. The family lives in Adenville, Utah, just before the turn of
the century.

'Harkening to a time when children were left to their own "play"
devices, the turn of the century Utah setting is as much a character
in this book as the characters themselves. And what ?characters? they
are. Told by the younger brother J.D., we learn about the eldest
brother S.D. and the clever schemer par extraordinaire, Tom D.
Fitzgerald a.k.a. "The Great Brain."'
http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=8770&award=xx&from=2002%20Parents'%20Choice%20Award%20Winners%20%3A%20%20Audio%20Book


The prominence of the "water closet" in the story is mentioned in many
customer reviews:

"For example, the family had a telephone but only got a "water closet"
in the first of the stories that is told about the Fitzgerald family
growing up non-Mormon in Mormon Utah."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0803725906/

Home-made ice cream is mentioned in this school quiz about the book:
http://www.bixby.k12.ok.us/schools/brsfield/teachers/brainwksht.pdf

There were multiple books in the series:
http://atozee.com/books/children/authors/f/john_d_fitzgerald.shtml

---------
search strategy:
"get a water closet" book

I hope this is the book that you had in mind.  If not, please request
clarification.  Thanks again!

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 03 Aug 2004 11:47 PDT

Just one note...  The Great Brain was first published in 1967.  The
1972 edition was a reprint.

Yea for Juggler!  Another quick and correct answer.

Thanks for the tip!
-juggler

In case you haven't found this out by now:  There are actually seven
books in the series: The Great Brain, More Adventures of the Great
Brain, Me and My Little Brain, The Great Brain at the Academy, The
Great Brain Reforms, The Return of the Great Brain, and The Great
Brain Does It Again.  Also, John D. Fitzgerald wrote two books for
adults with the same characters, Papa Married a Mormon and Mamma's
Boardinghouse (about the Fitzgerald's parents and their
friends/family).  The first is about the parents and Adenville, and
the second is what happened after Papa's death.