Galveston Dig

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nhpharm

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Hey Brandon, I really like that beer. Got busy and forgot to tell you it arrived safe and sound. I will post a photo of it when the weather gets bad. Been to nice to stay inside.
Awesome-so glad it made it to you safely!
 

nhpharm

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Been a little while but I made it out last Sunday for a day of digging in the Texas heat. Unfortunately, the first three holes I probed and dug were duds, with really nothing of interest in them. The last hole was a little different story...it had some newer stuff in one area and some very early stuff to one side of where I probed. Dug a nice 1870's Western blown spice jar and the prize of the day, a very nice 1860's blob soda bottle from Galveston...both came out in the last 30 minutes or so of the dig. It's always special to get into some early Galveston stuff.
 

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hemihampton

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Nice Stuff, Really hard for me to find any Privy's from pre 1880's in my area. Congrats. LEON.
 

nhpharm

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Nice Stuff, Really hard for me to find any Privy's from pre 1880's in my area. Congrats. LEON.
It's hard in Galveston as well...a large percentage of the privies and trash pits we find are post-hurricane (1900). After the hurricane they filled in much of the island so the early stuff is only found where they didn't fill too much or at all, which is only a limited area. Luckily for some reason many people dug pits in their yards and buried trash as well as having privies, so you can find some nice early stuff in these early trash pits sometimes.
 

nhpharm

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Went out last weekend (in the blazing heat) with my son and dug four holes. In the end, the first hole was the only one that produced, but produce it did! Dug a "small" F. Solyer blob from Galveston and two of the F. Solyer "Schultz" patent bottles, which are extremely rare and even harder to find in fair condition. Over the moon with this dig. The hole was strange...roughly a 6' x 6' area boxed in with a single board about 6" deep (set 3' or so below the ground now). Maybe a lazy man's privy or some sort of animal enclosure or trough? Always exciting to find 1870's stuff in Texas!
 

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nhpharm

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Went out Sunday and found a privy pretty quickly in the morning. Unfortunately, with all the rain down here, it was a battle keeping it dry and the privy ended up being huge (8' x 4' x 7' deep) so I only dug to the center brace and left the other 4' for next time. Unfortunately, though it was early (1860's), it had a very thin use layer (6" thick at the bottom of the privy) and I only found one slick and a bone toothbrush that were whole. With the last bit of energy I had, I punched a small hole in an area with a thin layer of trash and found this beer advertising coaster, which I was pretty excited about even though it was in three pieces. Just to give an idea of the size of the toothbrush, the coaster is 6" in diameter. Its a big toothbrush!
 

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nhpharm

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Sometimes I feel like maybe I'm just talking to myself on this thread but I did go out yesterday (it was hot as hell) to finish the other half of the privy I found 3 weeks ago. A little less water thankfully and a few more bottles...found a little doll head, a Mrs. Winslows, an early Lea & Perrins, a couple slicks, and the prize of the day, this awesome Russ'/Aromatic Schnapps/New York bottle. I've seen a few of his bitters bottles (broken) digging in Galveston but this is the first time I have seen even a piece of the Schnapps. Has the cool rivet marks in the neck from some repair to the mold and is in great condition overall considering it sat 7' down in the privy for 150 years. My son was with me and he dug a nice little poison bottle in his own hole.
 

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CanadianBottles

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Went out Sunday and found a privy pretty quickly in the morning. Unfortunately, with all the rain down here, it was a battle keeping it dry and the privy ended up being huge (8' x 4' x 7' deep) so I only dug to the center brace and left the other 4' for next time. Unfortunately, though it was early (1860's), it had a very thin use layer (6" thick at the bottom of the privy) and I only found one slick and a bone toothbrush that were whole. With the last bit of energy I had, I punched a small hole in an area with a thin layer of trash and found this beer advertising coaster, which I was pretty excited about even though it was in three pieces. Just to give an idea of the size of the toothbrush, the coaster is 6" in diameter. Its a big toothbrush!
I love that advertising coaster! Shame it's broken but I suppose that's typical for that sort of thing, and it'll repair really nicely. The Russ' is great too, never seen that one before.
 

bottlecrazy

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Very nice! I also love that coaster. Looks like something you might see today, which is an awesome tie to the past. What age do you think it is?
 

nhpharm

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Very nice! I also love that coaster. Looks like something you might see today, which is an awesome tie to the past. What age do you think it is?
I think it is from around 1910 or so. Definitely pre-prohibition, but based on the context it was found in, post 1900.
 

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