jwpevahouse
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2021
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 166
- Points
- 43
A local dig during March proved to be in many ways the most unusual digging experience of a 40 year career mining for old glass. The site was right in town along Main Street, easily accessible. Construction of a retaining wall opened up an area long the old mill pond usually flooded. The dirt was easy to dig, clay mixed with humus. The dampness of the soil preserved everything from wood, to leather to cloth and generally the bottles came out clean. The age in some areas ranged from that ideal period of 1850s to 1870s. Glass was plentiful, bottles came out in many cases extra clean. There were numerous local colored sodas and of course a good assortment of patent medicine bottles, inks and a few pontil utilitarian bottles.
Best of all, the construction company employees were tolerant of our presence. They were kind enough to help with their earth moving equipment uncovering areas of the bank. The adjacent land owners were friendly and interested in what we were doing.
The 1850s green soda (Battelle and Taylor) pictured I found sticking out of a big pile of dirt. The photo of bottles is only one days finds. The pepper sauce bottle with contents could probably still be used. The shoes couldn't be worn but for 1870s shoes dug up they are amazingly well preserved. A lot of shoes came out of that dump. A map from 1872 shows a shoe shop about two blocks away.
Besides lots of bottles and other interesting stuff.a Civil War era cannon ball in good condition was found the first week.
It sounds like almost a fantasy or bottle hunters dream but take my word for it, it happened exactly that way and probably never again. I have the pictures to prove it. The site is under water now, too bad....
Best of all, the construction company employees were tolerant of our presence. They were kind enough to help with their earth moving equipment uncovering areas of the bank. The adjacent land owners were friendly and interested in what we were doing.
The 1850s green soda (Battelle and Taylor) pictured I found sticking out of a big pile of dirt. The photo of bottles is only one days finds. The pepper sauce bottle with contents could probably still be used. The shoes couldn't be worn but for 1870s shoes dug up they are amazingly well preserved. A lot of shoes came out of that dump. A map from 1872 shows a shoe shop about two blocks away.
Besides lots of bottles and other interesting stuff.a Civil War era cannon ball in good condition was found the first week.
It sounds like almost a fantasy or bottle hunters dream but take my word for it, it happened exactly that way and probably never again. I have the pictures to prove it. The site is under water now, too bad....
Attachments
Last edited: