MrSchulz
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2012
- Messages
- 1,540
- Reaction score
- 314
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- DeWitt, Iowa
- Detector(s) used
- Ace 250, Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, Custom Recovery tools, Nupla Prb4t Soil Probe 60 IN,
- Primary Interest:
- Other
I went on my first bottle hunt this weekend with Brent and Austin. We dug an old town dump abandoned in 1984. We started on a spot where I was finding amber crown top pieces and some green 7up bottle pieces. There was also loads of pull tab cans on the surface. It was a crap shoot to dig there, and it paid off. We dug about 4 feet down, and about 10 feet wide and 4 feet across. We started by finding post prohobition liquor bottles than a perfume bottle and then we started getting into the good stuff. Brent pulled a can top out still readable then pulled the can out after that. It has lots of surface rust but is a nice piece. I haven't had time to research yet. Shortly after, Austin pulled out a DeWitt, Iowa Jewelers token from a jewelry store that closed in 1949, and it had survived the burn layer. We started digging down further and were pulling out generic 1950's bottles, and were pushing through one of the burn layers. Shortly after, I dug my first favorite bottle. A Clinton Bottling works, Clinton, Iowa ACL Soda Bottle.
For about another hour we were just digging generic bottles and such but had a great time. Brent came across a good bottle in the pit he was digging, we could see it was a slugplate bottle and it was big. After close to 5 minutes of excavation, Brent was able to pull it out and boom here is a slugplate, mold blown c.1910's Davenport, Iowa Bottle!
During our filiming of that excavation, and me about wetting myself, Austin had a 3 bottle cache in his pit, and he pulls out 2 more Davenport, Iowa soda bottles including a harder to find Eagle Bottling Works Davenport, Iowa bottle. These bottles are mold blown C. 1920's.
Well we took a short break and Brent went back to digging at his pit. I was pulling tons of liquor bottles and little milk glass jars but my dad called so I stopped and talked to him. While he was using his cultivator to dig into the burn layers, brent pulls out (at the time) one of the best finds. It was half of a DeWitt, Iowa Soda Bottle! Any kind of DeWitt, Iowa bottle is extremely rare to come by. I think my dad had sent us good luck because about an hour later he called again and I continued to dig at my pit and just when he was talking, out comes ANOTHER DeWitt bottle, and this one is complete with no cracks or chips. This is the rare DeWitt Bottling Works M. Eggleston & CO. The DeWitt bottling works was only in service from the late 1880's until 1944. The hutches have only 2 known to exist, one is in a private collection and the other is in the local historical society, I have tried to buy both but no luck yet
After thanking my dad repeatedly after yelling "BOOM BABY" multiple times, I began to dig some more, pulling out some amber medicine bottles and such. I wasn't getting much luck so I decided to go help Austin with his pit as he said he had a bottle over there. After deciding to be a nice friend, guess what happens? When trying to pull the bottle out, a broken bottle cuts through my gloves and slices straight into my finger. Little did I know, I had another cut on my other hand on my middle finger. After checking my SUV for any bandaids/etc nothing showed up, so I had to drive 5 miles back to town and fetch some bandaids, antiseptic, and mcdoubles for me and the diggers.
I get a call from Brent on my way back and he tells me he came across a 1948 Dime! He dosen't know much about coins, and I thought oh wow silver, but after I got there, it got better as I checked the back and it was a 1948 S harder date to find! It's in pretty wretched shape but the fact he could actually see it within the dirt was surprising to me.
It's running about 2 oclock PM and were getting pretty deep in the pit and reached another burn pile. Austin and I uncovered some old pots and a tea jar and Brent unearthed a broken moonshine jug and a nice little bowl.
We didn't find much after that though I did uncover a Davenport, Iowa Dodger Brothers Soda ACL 1940's - 50's bottle. After a while, we decided to call it a day. Austin and I packed things up while brent continued work on Austin's pit. He was pulling out some amber screw top jars and then he came across a our first milk bottle. It was a Dixon, Illinois (yes Rita Crundwell's town). It was in great shape.
I go to find out Brent had found a large bone. From my previous post I thought it was a human bone but thanks to Treasurenet members my fears of having a dead persons bone in my office went away
Also what is the buckle like object in the first pic?
**More pics, and a video of the dig coming soon in about 3 days, will compile everything together when the dig is complete within a few months/years **
****ADDITION: Had a Run in with a State Trooper as my car was backed in off a highway to the old dump's short drive. He stopped and checked the plates and left. After all I am all legal and such but he has to do his job. I was walking towards him but he didn't see me, and left before I got there so I guess everything was good. It sits between county/public property and railroad property secluded back in the woods.
I hope you enjoyed my sloppy way of telling how Saturdays bottle hunt went. I am too tired to spell check so please refrain from my thoughtless sentences and 10 year old grammer.
HH
MrSchulz
For about another hour we were just digging generic bottles and such but had a great time. Brent came across a good bottle in the pit he was digging, we could see it was a slugplate bottle and it was big. After close to 5 minutes of excavation, Brent was able to pull it out and boom here is a slugplate, mold blown c.1910's Davenport, Iowa Bottle!
During our filiming of that excavation, and me about wetting myself, Austin had a 3 bottle cache in his pit, and he pulls out 2 more Davenport, Iowa soda bottles including a harder to find Eagle Bottling Works Davenport, Iowa bottle. These bottles are mold blown C. 1920's.
Well we took a short break and Brent went back to digging at his pit. I was pulling tons of liquor bottles and little milk glass jars but my dad called so I stopped and talked to him. While he was using his cultivator to dig into the burn layers, brent pulls out (at the time) one of the best finds. It was half of a DeWitt, Iowa Soda Bottle! Any kind of DeWitt, Iowa bottle is extremely rare to come by. I think my dad had sent us good luck because about an hour later he called again and I continued to dig at my pit and just when he was talking, out comes ANOTHER DeWitt bottle, and this one is complete with no cracks or chips. This is the rare DeWitt Bottling Works M. Eggleston & CO. The DeWitt bottling works was only in service from the late 1880's until 1944. The hutches have only 2 known to exist, one is in a private collection and the other is in the local historical society, I have tried to buy both but no luck yet
After thanking my dad repeatedly after yelling "BOOM BABY" multiple times, I began to dig some more, pulling out some amber medicine bottles and such. I wasn't getting much luck so I decided to go help Austin with his pit as he said he had a bottle over there. After deciding to be a nice friend, guess what happens? When trying to pull the bottle out, a broken bottle cuts through my gloves and slices straight into my finger. Little did I know, I had another cut on my other hand on my middle finger. After checking my SUV for any bandaids/etc nothing showed up, so I had to drive 5 miles back to town and fetch some bandaids, antiseptic, and mcdoubles for me and the diggers.
I get a call from Brent on my way back and he tells me he came across a 1948 Dime! He dosen't know much about coins, and I thought oh wow silver, but after I got there, it got better as I checked the back and it was a 1948 S harder date to find! It's in pretty wretched shape but the fact he could actually see it within the dirt was surprising to me.
It's running about 2 oclock PM and were getting pretty deep in the pit and reached another burn pile. Austin and I uncovered some old pots and a tea jar and Brent unearthed a broken moonshine jug and a nice little bowl.
We didn't find much after that though I did uncover a Davenport, Iowa Dodger Brothers Soda ACL 1940's - 50's bottle. After a while, we decided to call it a day. Austin and I packed things up while brent continued work on Austin's pit. He was pulling out some amber screw top jars and then he came across a our first milk bottle. It was a Dixon, Illinois (yes Rita Crundwell's town). It was in great shape.
I go to find out Brent had found a large bone. From my previous post I thought it was a human bone but thanks to Treasurenet members my fears of having a dead persons bone in my office went away
Also what is the buckle like object in the first pic?
**More pics, and a video of the dig coming soon in about 3 days, will compile everything together when the dig is complete within a few months/years
******ADDITION: Had a Run in with a State Trooper as my car was backed in off a highway to the old dump's short drive. He stopped and checked the plates and left. After all I am all legal and such but he has to do his job. I was walking towards him but he didn't see me, and left before I got there so I guess everything was good. It sits between county/public property and railroad property secluded back in the woods.
I hope you enjoyed my sloppy way of telling how Saturdays bottle hunt went. I am too tired to spell check so please refrain from my thoughtless sentences and 10 year old grammer.
HH
MrSchulz
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