Galveston Dig

[nhpharm]

Went out Saturday for a dig...probed out a deep trash pit between a couple holes I had already dug. It was deeper than most of the stuff on this lot so I thought it might be real old but ended up being circa 1905. Loaded with bottles but mostly just slick whiskey flasks and pharmacy bottles that went back in the hole. All the way at the bottom (and below the water table) I felt a pretty solid bottle and reached down to grab it-ended up being a Galveston Codd soda, which is a super exciting and rare find. It looks like it may be the best example of this bottle I've ever found. Right next to it was a small crock marked on the base "The Buckeye Pottery Co." that was pretty cool. As I caved in the hole I also found a JJ Schott pharmacy bottle.

I knew there was a small pit to one side of the first pit, so I went after that next. It was quite tiny (maybe 18" square) but was loaded with glass...found 5 poisons, 2 Florida Waters, and some other odds and ends. Both holes were super wet and I was worn out by the end of the day but certainly drove home with a smile on my face!

 

[nhpharm]

Went out last Sunday for a dig with my son...it was a beautiful day for digging and the ground wasn't too wet. We opened up two holes right off as part of the grid we've been digging on part of the lot. My son was pretty discouraged as he moved a lot of dirt and didn't find much at first, but then he popped out a Houston Ice & Brewing and a real nice Galveston Lone Star & Coca Cola bottle so he cheered up after that. He also found about 2/3 of a very early and possibly local pottery pitcher that we are going to try to glue together. In my hole, I rustled up a very scarce Lone Star hutch soda, a nice early "backwards N" Cortes hutch soda, and a few other odds and ends. We filled those holes in and dug a few more smaller holes, but didn't turn up much in those except a few dollar bottles and some neat shells. Nonetheless, a good day of digging in my book!

 

[hemihampton]

Pretty sure that Newbros is from Detroit, I dig them here every once in awhile. Never seen Texas spelled that way tXs. Congrats, nice finds. Leon.

 

[nhpharm]

The Newbros were super popular down here...we dig a lot of them. Love the embossing-they are pretty neat!

 

[webe142]

I probed out a promising spot near the alley. Unfortunately it was mostly slick pharmacy bottles and flasks except for the Newbro's.

There was wood at depth so I thought I would try trenching along it. That's how I discovered the hutches.

 

[nhpharm]

You worked hard for those! Always a blast to find a hutch, especially a scarce one like that G&O.

 

[nhpharm]

Went out Saturday with my son and managed to get into a privy-first for a year or so. About 4' x 4' x 7' or so and full of roots and blocks of wood. It had a wooden bottom which we see from time to time but not usually in this area of the city. Clearly had been dipped extensively but there were a few 1880's bottles in the corners and a few newer bottles in the fill; managed to find an amber cone ink, a green cone ink, a cool carved bone toothbrush, and the find of the day, a large size of the Sweet Revenge flasks; first I've ever dug intact. Also found a flint nodule in the privy that someone must have lugged from some other part of the state as I don't think those are "native" to Galveston. Dug two other holes as well and found a really nice undamaged German swirl marble in one and a nice Witherspoon druggist in the other...all in all a great day. Dug a broken bottle (the ubiquitous Sawyer's Bluing but different) as well that I will do a separate post on; not a version I've ever seen before.

 

[nhpharm]

Went out Sunday for a dig with the boys. My older son dug a really cool Phoenix pictorial hutch soda from Galveston in one of his pits. My younger son dug a couple bromos and a few other odds and ends. I got into a little trough (4' x 18" x 18" or so) that had some trash in it; found a Chinese rice wine pottery bottle, a Chinese opium bottle, a S&W .38 bullet, and some other odds and ends. Its not common to find Chinese stuff in Galveston like it is out West but I thought it was really cool. Deep in one of the holes I also found a cute little porcelain bird whistle. Finally, when I was cleaning up one of my older son's holes, I found a marked Tarrant pot lid base from New York. The weather was beautiful and although the finds were not super plentiful, I just love finding unusual things like the whistle and the Chinese stuff. The amber Houston Ice & Brewing was a real heartbreaker as I have never dug one.

 

[webe142]

My last dig was cool and rainy. I appreciated the weather with summer just around the corner.

I probed out a promising spot near the side walk. Turned out to be a trashpit. I recovered around 50 bottles, mostly slick whisky flasks, but also some perfumes and cures.

I did find one local bottle in the pit, a Galveston Mignon hutch.

Also, I had never dug a poison. This dig I dug 5, including what I have been told is a scarcer KR-9.

 

[sandchip]

Went out Saturday with my son and managed to get into a privy-first for a year or so. About 4' x 4' x 7' or so and full of roots and blocks of wood. It had a wooden bottom which we see from time to time but not usually in this area of the city. Clearly had been dipped extensively but there were a few 1880's bottles in the corners and a few newer bottles in the fill; managed to find an amber cone ink, a green cone ink, a cool carved bone toothbrush, and the find of the day, a large size of the Sweet Revenge flasks; first I've ever dug intact. Also found a flint nodule in the privy that someone must have lugged from some other part of the state as I don't think those are "native" to Galveston. Dug two other holes as well and found a really nice undamaged German swirl marble in one and a nice Witherspoon druggist in the other...all in all a great day. Dug a broken bottle (the ubiquitous Sawyer's Bluing but different) as well that I will do a separate post on; not a version I've ever seen before.

That flask is off the chain!