Have you driven a Ford lately?

[halfdime]

Many of you remember the jingle that went with that question, but I doubt if many of you have driven the kind of Ford that this headlight lens came from. I can't take credit for this one; while I was detecting, Miss halfdime was digging in a (mostly) bottle dump where the old house once stood. Incredibly, she came out with this beauty, and it's not cracked or even chipped! Someone who restores old Fords (model A's and T's?) would appreciate having this, I'm sure. She also came out with an assortment of nice bottles, which we'll clean and post later. While she was busy doing her thing, I was doing mine. A 35 Buff and three wheats (two teens and a 34) bring the old coin total to 8 at this site. So far, no silver, but I have to believe it's there. I thought I'd also found another privy and dug down a few feet before I realized it wasn't to be . I did very well with one a few feet away earlier in the week.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Great looking old headlight lens Halfdime!
Oh yeah . . . the wheats are pretty good too!

 

[DigginThePast]

Now thats a really cool piece of glass. Has to back to be at least the Brass Era Model Ts, maybe even one of the lesser known models such as the K or N. Very old and a great find!

 

[Roland58]

I have done some searching in an effort to determine this forum's use of the word "privy." Obviously, it is a source of glass, bottles , pottery, etc., but, weren't these the "outhouses?" Was it common to toss bottles and glass into the depths? And, if so, for what reason?

Sorry for the lame questions.....I'm learning.

 

[wildman4910]

Sweet finds on the coins! Love the old head lamp lens

Looks like it might have come from the old carbide/asetylene headlamp.

Great finds nonetheless tho, keep it up!

I have done some searching in an effort to determine this forum's use of the word "privy." Obviously, it is a source of glass, bottles , pottery, etc., but, weren't these the "outhouses?" Was it common to toss bottles and glass into the depths? And, if so, for what reason?

Back in the day there really wasn't any type of garbage pickup, most of it was burned but you can't really burn a bottle in a low heat trash fire.

It was really easy to toss the glass in the out house pit(privy) as a quick outta sight outta mind fix.

That and there isn't any worry of getting cut on broken glass laying on the ground if you toss it in the privy hole!

 

[halfdime]

I have done some searching in an effort to determine this forum's use of the word "privy." Obviously, it is a source of glass, bottles , pottery, etc., but, weren't these the "outhouses?" Was it common to toss bottles and glass into the depths? And, if so, for what reason?

Sorry for the lame questions.....I'm learning.

And occasionally, something of value to the user fell in by accident. Depending on what it was, they may not have bothered to retrieve it. If they didn't know it fell in, they didn't retrieve it. I've found three wheat pennies in the depths of privies, but I've read of others who've found much more.

 

[cheffer]

wow, that's cool. what are the odds something like that survives the ground unscathed?

 

[steelheadwill]

Nice finds! Love the nonmetal Items that come up!
HH!

 

[Roland58]

Thanks to Wildman and Halfdime. My experiences with a privy are next to nil, my uncle had one behind his old house :P.....not a fun place to go (pun intended). I guess time takes care of the "unwanted" part of the privy leaving only the non-perishable items that were disposed of....interesting.

I know they were usually at the back of houses, but, how does one go about finding the remains of a privy? Is it by accident when digging a metal item?

 

[halfdime]

Thanks to Wildman and Halfdime. My experiences with a privy are next to nil, my uncle had one behind his old house :P.....not a fun place to go (pun intended). I guess time takes care of the "unwanted" part of the privy leaving only the non-perishable items that were disposed of....interesting.

I know they were usually at the back of houses, but, how does one go about finding the remains of a privy? Is it by accident when digging a metal item?

Not usually an accident; sometimes, the naked eye tells you and a probe confirms your suspicions. Other times, you guess and probe, guess and probe and then get lucky. That's one I'm hoping to work on soon.

 

[augusthog]

I have done some searching in an effort to determine this forum's use of the word "privy." Obviously, it is a source of glass, bottles , pottery, etc., but, weren't these the "outhouses?" Was it common to toss bottles and glass into the depths? And, if so, for what reason?

Sorry for the lame questions.....I'm learning.

People would change/move outhouses almost every generation/20 some years. Look for depressions in the backyard, within short walking distances of the homes back yard. Also you can check old surveyers maps at your local city hall. Here in Colorado Springs you can get them where they show the plot of the land and where the main house is and where the outhouse is/was. Cant miss........

 

[{Sentinel}]