DIGGING IN COLUMBUS,GA

[blackhdy]

HELLO EVERYONE A LITTLE ABOUT ME A 21YR OLD SOLDIER AT FORT BENNING GOT ME TO DIGGING FOR BOTTLES WHEN I WAS 14 YRS OLD AND I SO SO ENJOYED IT.WELL HE AND HIS WIFE WERE SENT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND HE IS RETIRED NOW THEY FOUND ME WITH A STRANGE PHONE CALL IN 1998 OR 1999 I AM 52 NOW WELL HIS WIFE HAS PAST AND WE KEEPIN TOUCH HE LIVES IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA NOW.
WELL I HAVE A QUESTION AND DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WILLTELL ME BUT HERE IT GOES.CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE SOME DIGGING SITES ARE AROUND COLUMBUS GA OR PHENIX CITY AL?
WHEN MY FREIND MOVED AWAY I LOST INTEREST I MEAN GROWED UP GOT CRAZY ABOUT EVERYTHING. HE CANT REMEMBER ANY AND WE ONLY HAD ONE.BUT BY NOW THEY HAVE BUILT A RIVER WALK OVER IT.
I WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF BEING BLESSED WITH ANY HELP
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
KEN

 

[cowseatmaize]

Hey, Ken. I can't help with your question but welcome to this place.
Have you checked any old maps in the area?

 

[blackhdy]

thank you for the welcome.where would i find these old maps? at the library maybe

 

[Poison_Us]

It's been a discussion for quite some time.. "Who has an account?"

But besides the library...this is the only place I know of. But, you need an account.
http://sanborn.umi.com/cgi-bin/auth.cgi?command=ShowLogin

Welcome!

 

[beendiggin]

Welcome to the forum. Glad to see you are interested in pursuing the bottles again. Go to a bookstore or library and look in the local history section. Most towns have lots of great books on local history and they tend to be filled with valuable info including old maps of the towns and counties. You could also talk to anyone at the local historical society and they usually have a web site as well. Also, go to google, select google books from the drop down menu and you can research a lot of old state registers and other interesting books for free. They let you start an online library (also free) and you can store them online in your own virtual library. It's easy. Good luck. I'm in Maine so can't help you too much with specifics. There are probably some members on the forum here who can help you out who live near you.

Go to this website for maps.
http://oldusmaps.com/index.htm

 

[beendiggin]

Here's the google book link to a page where you can browse some 19th century books I looked up using "Columbus GA " as the keyword. You can type any keyword to search with, so your research can be general or very specific. You could type in " town dump" or "trash disposal" or "rubbish removal" or "sanitation"....and you'll get different books to look at. It's a good way to find information when you're at a computer. You probably won't get a map, but you can read a lot of old books about your area and get pretty specific with your searches.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Columbus+GA&btnG=Search+Books&tbm=bks&tbo=1#q=Columbus+GA&hl=en&tbo=1&tbm=bks&source=lnt&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1800,cd_max:1899&sa=X&ei=w5ILT_KkLsbl0QHa2oWJBg&ved=0CBkQpwUoAw&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=b0c9d94bb7c07a4&biw=1440&bih=672

 

[olddog21]

My kids were stationed at Ft Benning for a while. I drove thru the older parts of town and saw a lot of older homes that you might ask for permission. There were several vacant lots as I remember towards the older part of town as well. I think Columbus was the headquarters for the Confederate Navy Check out the Confederate Museum for old maps and other information. You might want to walk the river banks while looking at the old homes, pre civil war, along the river. There is a privy behind each old house.

Phenix city is another story from what I understand. The Army declared Marshall Law in Phenix in order to close down the gambling, gin joints and houses of ill repute that had operated freely for many, many years. Crime controlled the city according to local history books. There are probably more skeletons and secrets buried in Phenix City that anyone one will talk about. Look for some ravines or hollers as they say for dumping grounds for slot machines. When the machines were destroyed by the law, they still had silver coins in them. The machines were pitched into the ravines en mass. Drive thru the town once you know where the older areas are and look for empty lots and get someones permission.

As an old digger told me in the seventies whe I started digging, you have to dig to find a place to dig. Try the local library for plat maps showing city streets and houses, sanborn maps, google earth, county histories, etc. Most university libraries have sanborn maps available on line.

Good Luck

 

[blackhdy]

thank you to all for your replys going to startsearching soon
again thank you
and God Bless you all