New user, Plantation Find(s) Question

[TimeWaster]

Hello,
New user here wondering about some things I have found at an old Plantation site. This place was an active plantation from at least as far back as 1800, and was used as a farm all the way through the mid 20th century. This thing was found next to a small rock fireplace that had no mortar and looked like it would have only been about 6 feet tall when it was standing. I pulled a horseshoe, and mule shoe, and BUNCHES of small cut nails that *I think* were used to shoe horses maybe. Many other things too, like a SAD Iron, a porcelain button, a weird looking skeleton key, an 1883 indian head penny (That I turned into a shiny copper disk by being an idiot and trying to clean it).
So, does anyone have any information that would help to date this old hoe? Check out how worn the edges are! Whoever used it, used it A LOT!
Thanks!

 

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[jamesbibb]

its called a grubbing hoe, likely late 18th-early19th cen. usage. I give them to the land owners along with horse bits, stirups, axe heads and other neat "iron Hang em ups"

 

[milk86]

Nice finds !!!

 

[knarf44]

Very nice indeed !! I would have loved to have found that piece.

Because of its age, my guess it was hand forged. Having done a bit of forge work myself I can really appreciate the skill it took to make such a tool. Especially if it was forged from one piece.

 

[TimeWaster]

So, would it be wise to do electrolysis on things like this? I think it would be cool to have hanging up somewhere if I could make it look a little better. These things aren't really worth anything except their contribution to history are they? I guess I came across what was left of an old lock box also. I found the inner latch of the lock, a key, the penny I mentioned, and some copper or brass? banding that seems like it may have gone around a lock box maybe. Next time I go I'm going to notch out the nails and see what comes up. I'm new to this and just have a cheap Bounty Hunter, so I pretty much have to dig everything or I wonder if I missed something good!
This little building was used for 100 years, so it is target rich! Or junk rich anyway!
Thanks!

 

[Valley Ranger]

So, would it be wise to do electrolysis on things like this? I think it would be cool to have hanging up somewhere if I could make it look a little better. These things aren't really worth anything except their contribution to history are they? I guess I came across what was left of an old lock box also. I found the inner latch of the lock, a key, the penny I mentioned, and some copper or brass? banding that seems like it may have gone around a lock box maybe. Next time I go I'm going to notch out the nails and see what comes up. I'm new to this and just have a cheap Bounty Hunter, so I pretty much have to dig everything or I wonder if I missed something good!
This little building was used for 100 years, so it is target rich! Or junk rich anyway!
Thanks!

I've got one just like it. I was going to clean it up, but got it in the scrap bucket. I do clean up my axe heads though. They can be displayed or put back into use.

 

[TimeWaster]

My curiosity has gotten the better of me. I just wonder what this place on the farm was. Blacksmith shop? Slave Quarters? Settler House? Small Fireplace probably no more than 8 feet tall when it was standing, sits on the lower end of where the farm field would have been, right next to a spring. Attached are some more pics. A lot of the nails look like they were possibly horseshoe nails? The horseshoe seems to date to early 19th century? Anyone know anything about the Mule Shoe? This is dead center of Sherman's March to the Sea. Didn't know if mules in the south got shoed at that time or not. There is even an artist's paint brush tip in the mix.

 

[knarf44]

It's a tough call on how to handle some items. Many like to keep them as found with minor restoration, as leave the rust on them. Personally on the forged items I like to remove the rust so I can see how the grain of the metal moved as it was being forged.

Attached is a childes sad iron and it's trivet that I dug some time back. Fortunately the trivet wasn't all that bad but the iron was so heavily rusted the handle and it's supports were completely useless. A good sandblasting, bodo and refabrication and I think it came out pretty presentable. I think many of our finds can be made interesting again with a little imagination.

 

[d2]

Nice finds. I have a couple of hoes like that that have handles on them and we use them in the garden. One I dug up and the other came out of the barn...d2

 

[BuckleBoy]

So, would it be wise to do electrolysis on things like this? I think it would be cool to have hanging up somewhere if I could make it look a little better. These things aren't really worth anything except their contribution to history are they? I guess I came across what was left of an old lock box also. I found the inner latch of the lock, a key, the penny I mentioned, and some copper or brass? banding that seems like it may have gone around a lock box maybe. Next time I go I'm going to notch out the nails and see what comes up. I'm new to this and just have a cheap Bounty Hunter, so I pretty much have to dig everything or I wonder if I missed something good!
This little building was used for 100 years, so it is target rich! Or junk rich anyway!
Thanks!

Check out the apple cider vinegar method for cleaning these!

 

[TimeWaster]

That is a good looking restoration on the Sad Iron! I had heard that these sad irons were also used to wrap in a blanket and put at the foot of the bed as sort of a bed warmer. I have found two next to the fireplace and both are completely missing the handle. Seems like I would have found at least a part of the handle if it was still there. So I guess it is possible these lost their handle and started getting used as a bedwarmer maybe.
Thanks for the responses, good info.

 

[knarf44]

Thanks for the compliment! The wife took a shine to it also. Many sad irons had removable handles. I've been told it was common to have more than one iron that the one handle would fit. One or more sat on the stove heating up while the other was being used. It cut down on the waiting during ironing and the cost of acquiring more than one iron. Try googling "sad iron" and then click on images and you'll see more sad iron then you can shake a stick at.