Now here is something interesting! Might need to start a new Forum

[ExcalSam]

Has anyone tried this? Privy diving anyone?

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/08/privy-diggers-excavate-old-outhouses-newsource-orig-vpx.cnn

 

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[Toecutter]

Oh yeah!! Iv dug one out so fare, more of a bottle diggers realm....

 

[Waterbug]

Years ago I was a bottle hunter.Dug lots of privy holes and found lots of neat old bottles,etc.Dug one hole,or at least started to dig it and stopped.Even a thirty year old hole smells "fresh".

 

[Jason in Enid]

been around for a long time! tons of work, lots of empty holes, but tons of fun when you dig a good one.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Years ago I was a bottle hunter.Dug lots of privy holes and found lots of neat old bottles,etc.Dug one hole,or at least started to dig it and stopped.Even a thirty year old hole smells "fresh".

!!!!!!

If its not at least 100, I wouldnt turn a single shovel full!

 

[docweiser]

Just a crap shoot!

 

[Force_of_Iron]

On the farm I grew up. There is a hill on the far back of the property in the overgrowth. In the middle of a small clearing where nothing grows but grass (this is strange as its the only spot in the area). In that clearing is an old well, perhaps a privy nearly closed over. I nearly fell in it as a child hiking around. It has a brick lining and had water in it but I have no idea how deep. The property has been owned by my family since the 30's. My dad said in the 40's there was a few stones up there where a cabin sat long ago. As a child I though it was really creepy.

Today I'm thinking about going back. I don't have a metal detector but am tempted to buy one to check this area to start me off on it.

Maybe if I went back it would be even harder to see and get me after all these years.

 

[Jason in Enid]

That would be a well, not a privy. Rural areas very rarely ever brick-lined a privy, that was typical only in a city lot where there wasnt room to move the outhouse around as it became full. A privy wouldnt be around a well either.

If you want to find the old outhouse (there were likely multiple locations), you have to do some deducing and probing. Think about predominant summer wind directions. The privy would likely be somewhere downwind of the house. It also wouldnt be too far from the back door because how far would YOU want to go through cold, snow, wind, rain, at night? Lastly, look for depressions in the ground where the backfill would have sunk slightly over time (not always though). Once you think you know where it might have been you have to start probing. Keeping in mind that the hole was likely only about 2 - 3 feet in diameter, so if you arent probing in a tight enough pattern, you can walk right over the top of it. When you probe you are looking for 1 or 2 things. First, you cant hide a hole. The fill will always be looser than native soil so the privy will feel VERY easy to probe. Next (not always) you are feeling for your probe to make contact with solid items. With practice you can learn exactly what glass feels like as well as unbroken bottles.

 

[Force_of_Iron]

There is a small creek nearby at the bottom of the hill. I'm guessing when running water was available (such as the creek) it would be the better option for a privy and such sites may not have one?

 

[piegrande]

Years ago, I knew Lowell Burkhead, inventor of the Burkhead safety rack. I went to visit him one day, and he was digging a very old privy hole. We found a lot of old bottles in perfect shape. We did contemplate if there were 1918 influenza germs or tuberculosis germs in there.