Tips on privy finding?

[norflo2norcal]

Last summer, my husband and I hiked to the top of a waterfall on a steep wooded slope in Placer County. In addition to getting poison oak, a metal rod jabbed in my shin, and almost breaking my leg at one point [&:], we discovered the stone foundation of a long gone house. At the time, I had never heard of privy digging, so didn't investigate the area too much. Now I want to go back, so next Saturday when the weather is nice, we're going to make the hike again. I have read a lot of threads on here about finding privies, but wondered if anyone can give me any tips specific to the region. There is a lot of vegetaion up there, and the level area where the house was is not a big area at all, so I'm sure a privy would have been close. But how do I recognize it with all the plant life up there?

 

[MIdigger]

From what Ive learned here youll need a probe, and look for a depression in the ground where the soil has sunken down. Usually when you hit the area a probe will push through the ground soil rather easier than soil which has never been moved (you get the feel of it). Also, most of them were behind the houses, so you must locate the front of the building from the rear then begin your search.
I did dumps only, but there is a weath of info here. If I were going to do it, thats what I have seen for starters. But safety is most important once you start digging especially if its a deep one.

 

[norflo2norcal]

Thanks for the info. I do have a probe, which I'll be packing in with me. As far as the privy being behind the house......if I remember correctly, the house was backed up right against the hillside, so unless the privy was uphill behind the house......I'm not sure it will be there. But I will definitely be looking for depressions. It will be so exciting if I can find it!

 

[JOETHECROW]

Good luck to you,...perhaps with such an unusual orientation (being backed up to a hill) it may be off to one side...Around these parts they would sometimes plant a lilac near the privy too.

 

[norflo2norcal]

Yes, it is a little unusual. I suspect it was a gold miner's home back in the day. No other reason for someone to live in such an out of the way place. Now there is just some stone flooring and the remnants of a stone fireplace.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

ORIGINAL: norflo2norcal

Yes, it is a little unusual. I suspect it was a gold miner's home back in the day. No other reason for someone to live in such an out of the way place. Now there is just some stone flooring and the remnants of a stone fireplace.

Your best bet it to look for the dump.When I hear,woods,big fields, no houses around this one,out of the way place.farm house etc it puts up a red flag,and the flag says (privy's no good) I wouldn't waste my time on the privy,there are way to many other places to dump trash,why fill up the hole you have to crap in then clean out?
The city and the town dwellers back then had no where to go with the trash so they put some of it in the privy's.
I am not saying there couldnt be some thing good in a (out of the way) privy,I just wouldn't waste my time doing it.Look for the dump in areas like that. Or go to a town or city to dig a privy,you will find more bottles there.

 

[norflo2norcal]

Thanks for your input. I don't know how to find a dump though. I mean, whoever lived there could have just chucked all his trash off the side of the mountain for all I know, leaving it scattered everywhere. And I'm sure you're right.....probably seemed like a better idea to do this rather than fill up your toilet. Regardless of the bottle situation though, we're going to make the hike this Saturday. So I'll be poking around just to see what I can find. I didn't photograph the house foundation the last time we went, but here's a pic of my husband on his way up the waterfall. You can see how much vegetation there is, and the house was at the top.

 

[Alaska]

you might have better luck looking for gold!

this is 1 days worth of gold i found.

 

[surfaceone]

I don't know how to find a dump though.  I mean, whoever lived there could have just chucked all his trash off the side of the mountain for all I know, leaving it scattered everywhere. 

Hey Gabrielle,

Pretend you've got a barrel of ashes and garbage that you want to get rid of. Where would you dump it? Look there, and there, over there too. Good Luck!

What's with the influx of waterfalls lately? Y'all are digging in much more scenic spots than I am.

 

[digger don]

I've dug several privies around foundations for old canal houses and found some bottles in them not a lot but they were worth digging. They weren't easy to find. It took a lot of poking with a probe. Good luck