I think I found a Privy?

[mtfdfire22]

Dig it.
I do not know where in Michigan you are right now, but, Saginaw and Bay City were manufacturing and pouring concrete by 1875 so it is very possible you are into an old privy. We dug 5'-6' in a poured concrete privy in Milford and the bottom was full of 1880's-1890's bottles.

What I would do is probe around first to see if you feel anything and see how deep it is. If it is deep you will need to knock the concrete out. If I had to guess the concrete wall only goes down 2-4 feet to shore up the top soil, after that wood was fine considering you would have hard clay after 3-4'.

let me know what you find.

 

[cowseatmaize]

What's the water table do there. If it rises at times maybe it's a spill over. I see it has vent pipes and it doesn't look like the same building in the front yard. Is it in the back?

 

[hemihampton]

Do they sometimes upgrade a old privy as time goes on with concrete or newer wood building. Or would they just move & build a newer one. Maybe a older one nearby? The house in Pic was across the Street. The house where privy is was torn down but had the foundation & rubble left behind. I should of took a pic of that I guess. I noticed when they buit the Kalamazoo canal here by my house in 1838 alot of the structure was made of poured concrete. LEON.

 

[madman]

i would dig it, but if it smells like poo abort, do you have a probe? id probe the whole area around the standing outhouse my guess the standing house is probably 40s

 

[hemihampton]

Yes, I gotta probe, not all that experianced using it though. When you say standing house is probably 40's does that mean 1840's or 1940's or some other 40's? Elaborate. I'm kinda slow. THANKS, LEON.

 

[plehbah]

I think it really just comes down to breaking out the shovel and taking it down at least 3' x 3' x 6'. That is the only way to get a good thorough test and to eliminate screw ups in judgement. Digging like a crazy person at anything with potential is bound to pay off sooner or later.

Dig!

 

[mtfdfire22]

he means 1940's. Which is possible.

 

[hemihampton]

I've heard the curved brick upper window was a older thing. This old one room school house was near it. It's gotta be older then the 40's. I think the foundation on school puts it at 1890-1910? LEON.

 

[hemihampton]

back pic.

 

[hemihampton]

Just checked some old maps & the school house, Privy Property & house across street all on 1916 map. So all older then 1916. When I checked the 1897 map only the standing privy property was still on map. Other 2 not there. on 1876 map all 3 gone. Good news at least Privy Property old & dates before 1897. Hopefully I can get somebody to help me I'll dig it. LEON.