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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Digging and Finding >> privy

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privy - 6/12/2005 9:53:51 PM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline What exactly would a privy look like from above ground? I think there is one at my cousins house, but am not sure. His house was built in 1905. < Message edited by Tony14 -- 6/12/2005 10:01:11 PM > Post #: 1

RE: privy - 6/12/2005 10:51:58 PM    Bottleman Posts: 851 Joined: 9/3/2004 From: Central Pennsylvania Status: offline The one thing that you should look for is a small depression or sunken in area in the yard. Most of the time though you will see no sign of a privy ever being there and the yard is flat. This is where the probe comes in. That is the easiest and fastest way of finding them. If your cousin’s house was built in 1905 I would assume there would be an outhouse but by the 1920s they would have got indoor plumbing so they would have filled the outhouse in with trash (bottles) from the 1920s through the years till it was full. Hope this helps, Tom (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 2

RE: privy - 6/12/2005 11:07:46 PM    diginit   Posts: 662 Joined: 4/7/2004 From: California Status: offline Here's a wood liner. brick was used also. Some were buried barrels or just holes. I look for a depression where the dirt has settled. Just stand at the backdoor and guess where you would go when you had to. Preferably downwind of everyone. I'm no expert, but get a long probe. and don't dig privys alone. Some are 20' deep. Attachment (1) _____________________________ Life is a Ditch. (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 3

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 12:11:11 AM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline Thanks for the replies all. There is a depression that always seems to be wet/muddy in the corner of his yard. All around it the ground is somewhat higher. (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 4

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 1:25:48 AM    madman   Posts: 4860 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline hey make a probe, ive dug alot of later prives and cisterns around the 1900s era check in the far back yard away from the house, the cistern may also contain bottles, this will be right behind the house near the back door, ive got lucky with these,digg that baby up youll never no what youll find mike (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 5

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 6:25:30 PM    Andy4707   Posts: 214 Joined: 5/7/2005 From: Wisconsin Status: offline I am Tony14's cousin and were i think the privy is, in the back coner of my backyard and there is a old metal pole burried and it goes up hill a little bit. About 20 feet away from that spot is an old burn barrel. Here is a picture of the spot. I am going to probe that area sometime this week. I think that if there was an outhouse or a privy it will be about 5 or 6 feet underground. (not sure though) I found a couple shards near that spot and one shard by the old burning barrel. If you could tell me about how far to dig underground that would be helpful, cuz i dont no how far to dig down. Did you dig to find a privy? If you did how far down did you dig? I think the out house was near that spot. (The first picture is a picture of the old burning barrel, it isnt a good picture sorry bout that) The second one is the picture were i think the privy is or the out house was) I try digging there, i kept digging til i say some new born mice or rats they were still alive to which is really scary, but o well) (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 6

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 6:26:26 PM    Andy4707   Posts: 214 Joined: 5/7/2005 From: Wisconsin Status: offline Burn Barrel Attachment (1) (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 7

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 6:27:57 PM    Andy4707   Posts: 214 Joined: 5/7/2005 From: Wisconsin Status: offline Privy spot/out house spot Attachment (1) < Message edited by Andy4707 -- 6/13/2005 6:32:28 PM > (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 8

RE: privy - 6/13/2005 9:55:27 PM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline Hey madman, what do yu usually find in these turn of the century privies? (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 9

RE: privy - 6/14/2005 1:57:29 AM    madman   Posts: 4860 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline hey tony heres some basics for privy digging, first you must locate the walls,using a probe would be best, try to determine the middle of the privy and probe on an angle once you have found walls on all sides the dig is on, it may be shallow or deep you could find alot or nothing, should be 1900s and teens stuff in there, maybee newer on top just dig it to the bottom, thats where the bottles generally are good luck ps if you dont have a probe just start digging with the shovel to locate out line of walls probably brick lined mike (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 10

RE: privy - 6/17/2005 11:55:32 AM    Andy4707   Posts: 214 Joined: 5/7/2005 From: Wisconsin Status: offline Hey, I finally probed my back yard in that one spot. About 3ft - 3 1/2 ft down it was easy to prob after that it felt like i hit an air pocket or something because the pole that i was using just slid about another 1ft down and hit brick or a huge rock because i couldn't go any further down. Do you know if this could be a privy or something? Me and my Tony 14 are gonna try digging there this weekend or during the next week. But i want to know if it might be a privy or something with bottles before we start digging. If you might no anything, it would be really helpful. (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 11

RE: privy - 6/19/2005 1:54:39 AM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline Andy is gone right now so he told me to tell you all that he re probed the backyard about an inch from where he did before and didnt hit that brick/rock, and the air pocket kept goin. Would this be a privy? < Message edited by Tony14 -- 6/19/2005 1:54:51 AM > (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 12

RE: privy - 6/19/2005 3:21:49 AM    RazorsEdge   Posts: 238 Joined: 5/8/2005 Status: offline I personally have never dug a privy, but from what i have read, that "air pocket" is what you are supposed to be looking for....Ive read there are layers of ash and debris and when you feel less resistance from the usual ground you found the privy....supposedly....then you are supposed to put the probe in at an angle to find the 4 walls a mark them above ground and start digging. Anyways just dig what have you got to lose but time.... (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 13

RE: privy - 6/19/2005 11:04:03 AM    bubbas dad Posts: 1374 Joined: 3/30/2005 From: South Carolina, USA Status: offline be careful. back home people would sometimes fill in old wells and they would grow over and you wouldn't know it was very deep. _____________________________ john the older i get, the smarter my father gets! (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 14

RE: privy - 6/19/2005 12:56:29 PM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline Thanks for the info Bubbas dad and Razorsedge. We are prabably going to dig that today so we'll watch out and try to make sure it is not a well. (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 15

RE: privy - 6/19/2005 7:39:00 PM    Andy4707   Posts: 214 Joined: 5/7/2005 From: Wisconsin Status: offline Me and Tony14 started to dig there. We found alot of shards, after about an 1hr or so, my dad said that we dug up an old well from the 50's and 60's that my grandpa put there to collect water for his garden. The well is about 2ft-3ft down, thats how far we dug to get to the well, the well is 7ft about. We found bricks shards, a brick plate that went of the well, wire, and shards. As we were digging it seemed like we hit a privy. After my parents told me about it being a well i was mad. I am wondering if there can be bottles in a old well? Also if i dig beyond the well will i find a privy? I think i am going to try anyway. < Message edited by Andy4707 -- 6/20/2005 10:36:21 AM > (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 16

RE: privy - 6/20/2005 12:45:43 AM    madman   Posts: 4860 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline hey andy if its from the 50s or 60s it may not be worth digging, ive found few bottles in wells, but i dug them anyway, just to see what was down there, mostly junk its your call good luck hey maybe you could find the cistern theres most likely bottles in it mike (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 17

RE: privy - 6/20/2005 12:50:34 AM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline What exactly would the cistern look like? (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 18

RE: privy - 6/20/2005 1:38:28 AM    madman   Posts: 4860 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline the cistern was used in the old days before the city ran the water pipes, it was a brick lined hole or barrel , so when it rained the water ran down the gutters to the drain pipes that drained into the cistern for water supply, so when the city ran the water to the house, they no longer used the cistern and used for the garbage pit ,check very close to the back of the house near the house mike (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 19

RE: privy - 6/20/2005 1:43:22 AM    Tony14 Posts: 2477 Joined: 2/15/2005 From: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Status: offline Thanks Mike. Would it have a cement cap over it? (in reply to Tony14) Post #: 20

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