# Southern Maine Bottle Dump



## cowback (Aug 4, 2013)

Bonjour, I figured that I will write a post about a farm dump I discovered some time ago. The dump is behind a 1950's suburbs in Southern Maine and the local elementary school.  I grew up in this area I have been in this 300 acre forest most of my life and couple years ago I was bushwacking to get home quicker and then I noticed on the ground an intact bottle, plus many layers of glass. Never thought about it till this year (2013 for those who read this in the future). 
 This year I began to go back there and discovered that the entire stream bed which is around 500 yards is coved in glass, metal, and everything else. So late spring I begin to dig a hole and that hole alone 1 foot and half deep and 5 feet by 5 feet I pulled out 27 bottles and today after digging several holes I have around 60 bottles and metal toys, like cap gun, toy trucks, marbles, etc.
 I recently discoved that this forest was a farm art one point and that this might of been a farm dump from that farm. Well anyway I will post some pics later of the dump and inform you guys/gals if any cool finds.


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## epackage (Aug 4, 2013)

Welcome to the forum, I look forward to seeing your finds... Jim


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## beendiggin (Aug 4, 2013)

Hi Drew, my name is Paul and I live up in the midcoast area.  I know that there are a few fellow Maine diggers on the site here and hopefully they will also say hi.  I should be able to make it down your way sometime, it's about an hour an a half drive for me but no big deal.  I think there are other members living closer to you so they could potentially get together with you a bit easier.  Stick around, post some pics and you'll learn a lot.  Southern Maine has some great history and you could find some very old bottles down there.  The New England Antique Bottle Club show is held in Dover NH each year and it's a good one.  Welcome and please post some pics....we love pics.


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## cowback (Aug 4, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the great welcoming's. No here are the pics.
 Here you can some of the stream bed, except 90% of it because it is covered up by brush.





 The hole I am working in for the last couple days.




 Just some of the bottles I've gotten out.




 Wicked good stuff.


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## beendiggin (Aug 4, 2013)

Those links aren't working for me.


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## epackage (Aug 4, 2013)

*Make sure to put your pic links between 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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...*


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## epackage (Aug 4, 2013)




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## beendiggin (Aug 4, 2013)

Thanks Jim.   well done.


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## epackage (Aug 4, 2013)




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## beendiggin (Aug 4, 2013)

Thanks for the pics...looks like 1930-1940 era stuff there. Maybe some milks or porcelain license plates will turn up.  Hint: If you crop your pics we can see the bottles better.     Riverbank dumpsites can be very productive and span many years so there may well be some older bottles either deeper or in another spot nearby.   I would try a few test holes in various spots nearby to see if you find older stuff, also dig a couple of deep holes till you hit bottom.  Usually it's clay at the bottom.   Good luck.


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## cowback (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks everybody for the great feedback. Beendiggin I would dig a big hole to clay but it keeps flooding up on me. So I keep stopping till I hit water. Unless you guys have a method to avoid the water.


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## cowback (Aug 5, 2013)

Beendiggin What town are you from because when I talk about Maine I usually say there is Northern Maine and Southern Maine. I live in Auburn Maine. I do hope we can dig together some time and talk about what we have found. I also found a wicked piece of local history. I just found an  Aluminum Business Card and it is all in French, I found in this same dump.


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## beendiggin (Aug 5, 2013)

I'm in Waldoboro, not sure if thats what you call North or South.  It's on the coast between Wiscasset and Rockland.  I hope we can dig sometime too. I drive through Auburn several times each summer to bring my kids to and from camp.


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## Lobster207 (Aug 9, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Drew.  I am also fairly new to the forum and I enjoy reading and learning from the other member's posts.  I am from Gardiner and I can totaly sympathize with you on the water issue and digging.  The vast majority of bottle digging I've done over the years has been near streams and the water is a constant challenge, especially with all the rain we've had this year.  Stream banks seem to have been a popular place to discard unwanted items in the earlier days, at least in the areas that I've dug.  My tool of choice in muddy conditions is a potato digger or hand cultivator.  Dig slowly to avoid breaking or scratching the keepers.  Water can move bottles and other items a considerable distance, work your way upstream and you may find the main dump site and save digging in the mud until drier times.


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