Searching an old gas station/country store and its privy.

[PlaneDiggerCam]

Got permission to search a really old abandoned gas station and country store! What is even better is that the property is attached to an old dairy farm (the owner of it was the owner of the station). There is also an old privy that was blown over, but still intact towards the back. I need some advice on where and what I should look for on this property in terms of relics (should I detect too?). Also would digging the cement privy exposed be worth it? Took some pictures to show what I'm dealing with:

Before anyone freaks out about danger, i just took a photo of the odd basement with a well? The owner of the property said he was going to fix up the station in the coming year:

The privy and stream behind it:

Thanks,
PlaneDiggerCam

 

[yacorie]

So I would 100% detect because it could key you into some areas with cool stuff - with any luck some signs.

I would ask the old farmer if they had a bottle dump - maybe you’ll find a bunch of the dairy bottles. I’ve never dig one myself but have seen plenty of people post pictures of dairy dumps.

i wouldn’t bother digging the privy but I would search the building and outhouse to see if there were any signs used as boarding

 

[RCO]

if there was any dumping going on during the 40's ,50's or 60's , if you walked around , usually those dumps are pretty easy to spot , often if I walked around wooded abandoned properties I'd spot things

I'd avoid digging anything if it obviously is too dangerous or too much effort

 

[shotdwn]

I agree with yacorie. I would detect around the area, might find some nice silver coins and some jewelry lost over the years.

 

[CanadianBottles]

I agree with the other replies, skip the privy and go looking for mid-century dumps, even the ones that you would normally consider too modern to dig. There's a very good chance that property has a bunch of enamel signs dumped somewhere in those woods, and possibly a bunch of milk bottles somewhere as well. It's also definitely worth detecting, but that isn't where I would primarily focus my efforts at first. Any old property is worth detecting, it's the potential for signs and massive piles of milk bottles that makes this one special.

 

[Millertyme]

I am really new to this, Had an old one that was ghost town from late 1800s. Loved digging there. Unfortunately, the land is now fenced and cannot get in as easy. It was land owned by Airport, do not know what they are doing now. Just ten years ago, there was a bunch of digging areas where homes and farming had been. In 2009 I found lot of cool stuff, bottles. jewelry, misc. farming machinery. oops forgot bottles only. Just find it sad that so many cool sites are destroyed by developers. Thanks

 

[bottlecrazy]

I'd carefully comb through any rock walls that are in the vicinity. They seem to have been productive recently

 

[GLASSHOPPER55]

I agree with the other replies, skip the privy and go looking for mid-century dumps, even the ones that you would normally consider too modern to dig. There's a very good chance that property has a bunch of enamel signs dumped somewhere in those woods, and possibly a bunch of milk bottles somewhere as well. It's also definitely worth detecting, but that isn't where I would primarily focus my efforts at first. Any old property is worth detecting, it's the potential for signs and massive piles of milk bottles that makes this one special.

Don't forget the old deco soda bottles from that area too. Especially at a gas station.

 

[Tony Kendzior]

I agree with all said above except avoiding the privy. When finding an old homestead in the woods, I always look for the privy. After many years the organic deposits are long gone and I've found coins and bottles in them, some probably by accident, or bottles to rid the depositor of evidence they were drinking. Who knows... Anyway, there's typically stuff down there worth finding.

 

[islamoradamark]

wow pretty cool spot, I always imagine if it was me walking to that privy drinking a soda I would probably pitch that bottle in that stream then use the privy. I would look there and in the well.