Horse shoe highlights day.

[LostinGeorgia]

Spent a good part of the morning trying to probe for outhouses. Not having much luck. You’d think I would stumble across one. Maybe tomorrow. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Digger RJ]

Spent a good part of the morning trying to probe for outhouses. Not having much luck. You’d think I would stumble across one. Maybe tomorrow. Good luck to everyone.

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[ToddsPoint]

Spent a good part of the morning trying to probe for outhouses. Not having much luck. You’d think I would stumble across one. Maybe tomorrow. Good luck to everyone.

I just bought a probe and want to look for an outhouse. I have no idea how to do it. A bottle collector friend told me most outhouses were “in the back and to the left “. Do you grid the area? I’d like some tips if you have any!

 

[robertk]

A bottle collector friend told me most outhouses were “in the back and to the left “.

I'd change that to "in the back and down wind". Around here, the prevailing winds are from the west, so outhouses are almost always in the back of the house on the east side. I don't have any tips on probing though, never did that.

 

[LostinGeorgia]

I just bought a probe and want to look for an outhouse. I have no idea how to do it. A bottle collector friend told me most outhouses were “in the back and to the left “. Do you grid the area? I’d like some tips if you have any!

Have no tips just hunches. Found a document online about Georgia (where I am) that goes into structures and history of agriculture in depth some good info there but mostly Georgia related. States that most outhouses were 50 to 150 feet from house and on opposite side or at least downhill from well. Says 75 feet is the norm. Have not gridded, just poke around here and there when I need a break from digging. Most of my sites I can’t exactly locate or orient the house and only know where one well is. Believe that there were people on these sites from 1850 to 1930’s, that’s about 80 years. More than likely multiple privy’s yet I can’t find a single one. Hope you have better luck. Don’t know if I can link document I mentioned but it is called “Tilling the earth Georgia”. If you are digging in rural areas, (especially in the south) or just like history a really good read. Warning about 150 pages first 100 are the best.

 

[LostinGeorgia]

Have no tips just hunches. Found a document online about Georgia (where I am) that goes into structures and history of agriculture in depth some good info there but mostly Georgia related. States that most outhouses were 50 to 150 feet from house and on opposite side or at least downhill from well. Says 75 feet is the norm. Have not gridded, just poke around here and there when I need a break from digging. Most of my sites I can’t exactly locate or orient the house and only know where one well is. Believe that there were people on these sites from 1850 to 1930’s, that’s about 80 years. More than likely multiple privy’s yet I can’t find a single one. Hope you have better luck. Don’t know if I can link document I mentioned but it is called “Tilling the earth Georgia”. If you are digging in rural areas, (especially in the south) or just like history a really good read. Warning about 150 pages first 100 are the best.

https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/tillingtheearth_0.pdf

 

[Georgivs]

https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/tillingtheearth_0.pdf

Thanks! this could be really useful. Also I love your posts since I haven't been able to get out much recently, it's good seeing someone posting the same stuff I would be finding.

Edit: I don't know if you've checked out the historic maps at https://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/nine.html
One day I want to go in and check out the archives and see if I can locate any hidden history

 

[pepperj]

Never really got into digging privies out as most probing was done in Railway construction/ghost towns.
We probed for years looking for garbage dumps and random bottle drops. It's not that hard to catch on how to probe-but it takes some practice in doing it correctly.
Rocky areas-more care is needed in how hard/fast one is probing. Hitting a rock isn't the greatest feeling on the hand palm.
Probing too hard also can damage a bottle if it's fragile, but after awhile one can tell a broken bottle from an intact bottle.
There's one thing though after pushing in a probe for hours on end-the paw gets a tad tender.
Dug hundreds of bottles from probing in the early days.
But a must do again soon.

 

[LostinGeorgia]

Thanks! this could be really useful. Also I love your posts since I haven't been able to get out much recently, it's good seeing someone posting the same stuff I would be finding.

Edit: I don't know if you've checked out the historic maps at https://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/nine.html
One day I want to go in and check out the archives and see if I can locate any hidden history

Not sure if I’ve been on that site or not. Will check it out later. Found the site I linked about a week ago and glad I took the time to read it. Didn’t read last 40 or so pages since it seemed like it was mostly for archeologist’s wanted to verify historical sites. If you are finding the same stuff as I am you should love it. Happy hunting

 

[Kona Koma]

Spent a good part of the morning trying to probe for outhouses. Not having much luck. You’d think I would stumble across one. Maybe tomorrow. Good luck to everyone.

Don’t fall in. Good luck.