1840s house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

[john37115]

1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

I got together with Dugdigger for a hunt saturday at the sight of an 1840's farm house that had been recently tore down to make way for a new house. A bulldozer had dug out about 8' of dirt for a basement. We were too late to get in on the top 2' feet of topsoil that had been removed but managed to make some cool finds none the less. The prize find was a small dark brown blob top soda bottle that read " M.McCormack -- This bottle is never sold -- W.Mc C & Co " The bottle was found by the property owner as he was walking us around, I offered to buy the bottle from him and he said I don't want it you can have it. I would love to identify this bottle and try and put a value on it. I managed to find blue bottles like it for sale for $200-$400. The brown one must be rare because I couldn't find anything on it.
I also found a old bottle that read " McConnon & Co. -- Winona Minn" that was lodged into the side of the bank that the dozer had cut out about 18" down in what appeared to be an ash pit. Also found a cool brass whatsit, one bone 4 hole button, one tiny 4 hole white glass button, an old gold plated ring and what appears to be the claw from a mountain lion or something. If you have any clues?
I will post the brass whatsit in the whatsit section also.
Thanks for looking.

 

[PBK]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

The brass item with a crown on it is the drop (keyhole cover) from a lock. The letters V. R. stand for Victoria Regina— Latin for "Queen Victoria"— and signify that the lock is of British manufacture and was produced during her reign, c. 1837-1901.

 

[john37115]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

WOW PBK that was Quick
Thanks

 

[PBK]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Glad I could help!

Shapes varied, but here's an example with similar marks stamped on the drop:

​

 

[roswellborn]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Cool finds there! Even your whatsit(s) are cool.

Could that claw be a tooth? Just thinking a claw might have more curve to it. Or not.

HH
Nan

 

[Evolution]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Nice finds. I found a lock cover like yours a while back. I wondered what it was for a while. It might have been PBK who identified mine as well. He's always quick on the draw.

Here's the one I found

 

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

McConnon & Co was a drug company in Winona, MN started circa 1912, much like Watkins Co.
Guess McConnon later sold fertilizer and insecticide..

 

[mistergee]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

the copper thingy that looks like a "C" looks like the end of a loop on a car radiator.

 

[wyattrr]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Nice Blop Top and Relics...You Should go back to see what else you can find...HH

 

[tymcmurray]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

You had a good hunt.

 

[john37115]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Cool finds there! Even your whatsit(s) are cool.

Could that claw be a tooth? Just thinking a claw might have more curve to it. Or not.

HH
Nan

Hi Nan the claw is actually very curved to the side and down. It's just hard to capture in the pic. Check it out in the 1st pic you can kinda see the curve better.
Good to hear from you it's been awhile since LBH I hope the world is treating you well.
Later

Nice finds. I found a lock cover like yours a while back. I wondered what it was for a while. It might have been PBK who identified mine as well. He's always quick on the draw.

Here's the one I found

Thanks, that is very similar to mine. Cool
The stories these things could tell if only they could talk....

McConnon & Co was a drug company in Winona, MN started circa 1912, much like Watkins Co.
Guess McConnon later sold fertilizer and insecticide..

Thanks Mr Mojo I would have quessed the bottle was older I have found two of these in good shape the other was alot bigger.

Nice Blop Top and Relics...You Should go back to see what else you can find...HH

Thank wyattrr I sure wish I knew more about that bottle. I want to go back and dig, there is an ash pit that measures about 12' long and 4' deep in the side of the dirt bank where they dug out for the basement. That is where I found most of the stuff.

You had a good hunt.

Thanks Ty around my neck of the woods theres not alot of old places to hunt we just didn't have the population. So it's a real treat to get to go somewhere local that is this old.

 

[civilman1]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Nice Find's John....How long do you have to hunt this place?The mention of Bulldozer's can't be all that good,hit the place every chance you can,cool stuff!!

 

[TN-Joe]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

John,
That one bottle is older than dirt!! lol
Super cool find.
Joe

 

[dugdigger]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

I'm ready to do it again

 

[weasel606]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

cool finds

 

[myelo1023]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

The small bottle on the right...it is embossed on the bottom with anything? It looks very similar to a 1930 Ownen-Illinois bottle I found near an old general store.

 

[daytondigger]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

Looks to me like the bulldozer tore into the old privy. My privy digging buds love to go to construction sites and look for ashy or dark colored soil. Easy work digging up all those bottles. That blob top may be a good one, but I'm not familiar with it. Nice score. But, you should have dug up that ash layer.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

wow John

cool digs,, some awesome finds

those old colbalt bottles are valuable, I have never seen that brown one either

 

[nightwolf]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

An excellent variety of finds there, very nice work!

 

[crazyjarhead]

Re: 1840's house & bulldozer gives up cool finds

That brown bottle is way too cool