Advice for digging an old textile mill

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Karikeller11

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Anyone have experience or suggestions when digging an old cotton textile mill. Built in 1883, it was operational until 2001. So far what I have found dates to the early 1900's but I feel like I have not found the golden spot yet.
 

judu

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hey kari , i used to not think much of those mill dumps , but i soon realized they are very good if you find the right spot..we have tons of mills around our area as im sure you know....all these mills had a mill "village". all the houses around the mill where the workers lived, etc...all those mill villages had a dump site pretty close by...i would scout the area you are looking at on google earth and look for the wooded areas or rivers that run close to where the houses were..i have found they seem to be with in a mile of the village houses.every one is diffrent of course.....good luck and keep us updated.....
 

sunrunner

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there is most likely not one,cotton mills produced no glass,that I know of.and the mills dumps had very little in the was of glass.
 

Karikeller11

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Dan that is where I started yesterday. There is a creek running behind the mill where they used to unload the cotton. It is a large embankment and the owner said he would not backfill until I have had a chance to dig around a bit. Yesterday I found about 12 soda bottles, some broken, but the ones intact were a embossed Canada Dry Spur, Dec 23 Christmas Coke, Nov 15 1923 Coke, Nugrape, Big Frosty, and an ACL Bud's Beverages bottled at Abercrombie bottling Works, Woodruff SC, and several others I can't identify. So far, the old mill, although they did not manufacture glass, has proven to be quite the find. Guess those people got very thirsty while they were working!
 

Karikeller11

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Here is a picture of "Bud"!
 

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Karikeller11

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Left out the best find, it is an oil ball used in the textile equipment.it has the name Lunkenheimer embossed on the front.
 

RCO

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I'd just explore the entire property and look for signs of glass / bottles or rusty cans . that's likely how you'll find a dump if there is one . it will stand out if you know what to look for
 

judu

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nice finds so far....if you found a 1915 and a dec 25 coke, you are in a pretty decent age for finding some good bottles.....dont know anything about the oil bottle, but its a great find....the buds bottle is a nice one...if the front acl is as good as the back , its really a great find as they are almost always "ghost letters" after being in the ground......maybe underneath that layer of bottles you are digging in could be the older stuff...i would think if you found a spot just 5 to 10 years earlier, you are going to be in some great local bottles....... i give you credit for digging in the heat.we have slacked off a bit untill it gets a little cooler........
 

Karikeller11

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I have definitely slacked off due to the heat but this opportunity presented itself, and it is under a great canopy of trees and right near a creek so it helps!
 

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