my home and an old Homesite, where is best place to look for the Privy?

[Irchr]

I moved out in the country and found out there was a home here about 80+ yrs ago. I have found literally over 100 lbs of metal STUFF so far. Yesterday I found some springs to a Model T, and a burner cover to a wood burning stove. I have found about 30 interesting bottles most on the top of the ground, but a few I found with the M.D. becuase it had a metal cap on it. Most of what I have been finding is just "stuff" bits and pieces of metal that have no meaning. I am saving them all. There is so much of it, that I can't go 2 feet without the detector going off. It drives me nuts so I just keep narrowing my field down.

Here is a question for you. I found the back "steps/landing" to the house, a quad of bricks. I have also found a cistern that is about 12 feet deep with an opening about 24 inches across and then decends and opens up to about 8 feet around, all brick lined. It maintains about 3-4 feet of water and I can see tons of stuff in the bottom but it is too dangerous to go down and get it out. Now I want to find the privy. I can't seem to locate it as the area is quite covered in small trees and brush. was there a pattern as to where to put the privy. If I were to step out the back door, the cistern is about 25 feet to the right and out just a ways. I figure that the privy would be beyond that and to the left. Have you found a pattern as to there they put them? Or is it just any where away from the house. If so about how far out? I would like see what would be in it.

 

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[Hoofer]

If you look really carefully you will see a trail to it. The most used path on the farm.

 

[TENNESSEEGAL]

Would you post a picture of all of the metal you've found? I think it's great that you are keeping all of it and I think it would be neat to see.

 

[Getty]

You should get a probe and start poking the grond till you here the tink of glass, then you've found it. Remember there could be more than one though.

 

[nuggy]

Hi from the deeeep south. To find the old privy sites, usually more than one - you need to make a probe - steel rod of 5/16 or 3/8" diameter about 4 or 5 feet long a 6 " long cross piece welded on top, and a rounded point on the business end.
Use it to poke around in the ground, with only a little practice you can tell when you have touched glass (not too hard - you don't want to break that nice old bottle) metal or stone. You can feel for soft spots that were old the privy and trash pit sites. There will be a sort of scratchy feel when you go through old ashes too.
Good luck, Nuggy

 

[Irchr]

 

[Irchr]

this was just one days find. If I didn't know better I would swear this had been a dump site for the entire county. I have buckets and buckets of this stuff. I have found 9 different kinds of Barb wire as well. There is so much of it, that at times it just clogs up the M.D. with noise. I am still learning how to use it, and I keep deleting out so I can narrow the search down.

 

[Irchr]

one last photo. This is the cistern I found. In this photo I have cleared away the brush that hid it from me for months after I bought the property. I just stumbled upon it as it is very heavily covered in brush, trees, Poison ivy, Briars, and just "jungle". I have spent many years now clearing it off bit by bit.

 

[TENNESSEEGAL]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=644210"/>

I love those old chains and rings! You may find an old axe head on your property.

 

[TENNESSEEGAL]

I love those old chains and rings! You may find an old axe head on your property.

OOPS! It looks like youve already found part of one!!

 

[TENNESSEEGAL]

one last photo. This is the cistern I found. In this photo I have cleared away the brush that hid it from me for months after I bought the property. I just stumbled upon it as it is very heavily covered in brush, trees, Poison ivy, Briars, and just "jungle". I have spent many years now clearing it off bit by bit.
<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=644217"/>

Man i wonder what kind of goodies are down there!!

 

[Irchr]

I think that is part of the skirting of an old stove. I have found lots of parts to two different stoves. It isn't thick enough to be an axe, but I wish it was.

 

[TreasureWriter]

The privy traditionally was located to the rear and East of the home because that's the way the prevailing winds go. The wells were located in the front of the home. At least this is the classic Eastern US layout. Get a 5/8" piece of rebar and weld a T-handle on it. Probe around until the privy probe sinks into the ground usually a couple of feet with little effort. This will most likely be your privy. You should also be looking for depressed areas in the ground. Privy's will settle with time and often leave a depression. Many times there are more than 1 privy at a site and you'll find some that are stone lined just like an old well. Dig carefully and expect broken glass and other household items. It was a common superstition that glass caused fires in homes in the 1800's when sunlight refracted through the glass so they often threw the old bottles in the privy. You may also find old coins, honey pots, shoes, lanterns in the privy. Some of these can be 8 feet deep. Be careful when excavating to depth that it doesn't cave in on you. Always have someone with you.