Oak Orchard Acid Springs

[annie44]

Thanks Kelley and Warren!
Joe- what a great story! It's painful to even think of them skeet shooting these bottles back in the day! It must have been fun to explore the Alabama swamps, even though no intact bottles were found.
Cindy

 

[JOETHECROW]

It was great fun, Cindy...I particularly remember the cat~ tails being more than head high, and having to wear waders to get back in there...we were ready to give up when we sat down for a breather and to consult the map (difficult surroundings to get your bearings in)...and about thirty feet from where we sat, my friend spotted the cable up in the tree...<laughing>, anyhow there's more, Last fall this same friend looked me up where I now live, and after a brief meeting (i was at work) I agreed to call him for a bottle dig...(We've not dug together in at least 20 years),,,So anyway, writing you my story inspired me to impulsively call him, and tommorow (Sunday) He's making the two hour drive down here ,and him and I and my current digging friend are heading deep into the forest to finish an1860~70's shinglemill settlement dump we found in the fall!...So indirectly,...Thank you. It'll be weird but fun..maybe we'll find an Oak Orchard bottle to bring the story full circle[]. Thanks, Bye for now....Joe

 

[Road Dog]

ORIGINAL: annie44

Rare Alabama Genessee Co N.Y. variant...

Glad to see ya got one. I knew you were searchin. Looks Purty.

 

[annie44]

Thanks Road Dog - the Alabama Genessee Co has a small repair on the outside of the lip, where an open air bubble was filled in. It was well done, and looks good, but is noticeable none the less. If the bottle was perfect, I probably couldn't have afforded it, so I am happy to have one in my collection.

Joe - Good luck on your dig. Post some pics after to show us what you found!

Cindy

 

[bearswede]

Great bottles, Cindy! Good diggin', Joe... Bring home the bacon, err... Mineral Waters...

Now, how did some swamps in NY State come to be named "Alabama"...?


Ron

 

[JOETHECROW]

Hmmm, Good question Ron...maybe someone relocated and it reminded them of back home somehow?...Gettin' ready to get ready to head out here,...one interesting thing my friend Bob reminded me of on the phone yesterday...He informed me that his father (the local historian) is now in a nursing home, He then asked me if I remembered the old photo his dad had showed us of the Spa...We think there was a seperate pic of four (or five) stone spring holes w/ wooden covers, and his dad told us that each spring had different alleged properties and used a different colored bottle to designate which spring it came from....I had kinda forgotten about that.Well, it's a Good digging day so,....Adios, Joe

 

[bearswede]

Very interesting stuff there, Joe... Have a blast digging!!!!!


Ron

PS... We have a barn down the road here in western Massachusetts that reads "Wyoming Valley"... And I think it's actually named for a place in Pennsylvania!

 

[JOETHECROW]

Well, as often the case in life, things didn't play out just the way we might have thought or wished...My old freind Bob had a crisis at the marina he now runs, and couldn't make the trip,...My other friend and I did...one of the first hot days here w/ no leaf cover yet (it's raining though, as I write this) and I'll bet it's going to green up real quick, anyhow we did the 45 min. hike and things were as we'd left them last fall (vr. remote area)..we dug unbothered for 2 or three hours but most all the goodies were broken....just to avoid getting skunked, I brought home a 7' aqua sunken panel med,...vr. old, but not pontiled, and vr crude with a way crooked neck,....I like it alot!...the rest of the day we drove all over hell's half acre checking out leads, but all were too new. Sorry I've no easy way to post some pics,..I'll be remedying that soon,...thanks for all the responses. Joe
P.S. one of the pieces was an amazingly old dk. olive/brown stoddardish neck and shoulder, but super pronounced lady's leg bulge with a laid on ring lip...wish I knew what it would have been....we also found 90% of a 2 gallon grock w/ cobalt stylised bee motif which had me sifting and searching for the other piece(s).
So long, Joe