Gypsy Heart
Gold Member
I had the dis-stink privylage of finding the old town hall privy and spent the last week digging its cellar. Now as bad as it sounds ...it wasn't . Because of it being built with its backside on a sandy slope and limed on a regular basis...it wasn't bad to dig....no deep hole to crawl into .
I used Sanborn maps to help me find this and after talking to a couple of old timers who were very amused at me doing this...I found out that the privy was moved several times over the years along this sandy bank. From what I can gather there were two outhouses (ladies and mens ....cool for the late 1800's) and they were in place (well moving across the top of the slope
) until the late 40's. So I am pretty sure I was digging in the ladies privy cellar for the most part. I will keep digging until snow flies and am hoping to pull out more than my usually wheaties . I am having the neighbor guy make me a sifting screen, as I have been using a colander and its not going fast enough. I was surprised to find the sterling silver ring tho...was one of the first things in my sifter.....
The tortoise shell hair comb is really cool even damaged. It says solid gold on it and I can see along of where the gold was. I am going to see if the gems are real in it and then have the damaged parts removed and a brooch made out of it. Its about 4 inches across and 4 long.
I do like the lamp arm for a kerosene lamp and am going to see if I can find the cup/bowl part for it. Seems like I pulled up alot of kerosene lamp parts and there are many pottery bottles still there that I keep digging...but broken. Hoping for a whole one.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,119459.0/topicseen.html
I used Sanborn maps to help me find this and after talking to a couple of old timers who were very amused at me doing this...I found out that the privy was moved several times over the years along this sandy bank. From what I can gather there were two outhouses (ladies and mens ....cool for the late 1800's) and they were in place (well moving across the top of the slope
) until the late 40's. So I am pretty sure I was digging in the ladies privy cellar for the most part. I will keep digging until snow flies and am hoping to pull out more than my usually wheaties . I am having the neighbor guy make me a sifting screen, as I have been using a colander and its not going fast enough. I was surprised to find the sterling silver ring tho...was one of the first things in my sifter.....The tortoise shell hair comb is really cool even damaged. It says solid gold on it and I can see along of where the gold was. I am going to see if the gems are real in it and then have the damaged parts removed and a brooch made out of it. Its about 4 inches across and 4 long.
I do like the lamp arm for a kerosene lamp and am going to see if I can find the cup/bowl part for it. Seems like I pulled up alot of kerosene lamp parts and there are many pottery bottles still there that I keep digging...but broken. Hoping for a whole one.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,119459.0/topicseen.html
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Ah I mean trash. 
Congrats on the finds. HH
Old fishing lures are highly prized and collectable. 
