# Illinois Privy Dig - My first dig in my own yard



## DigIllinois (Oct 15, 2014)

Hey Guys, I had some local privy diggers stop by a house that my father was demoing (he bought a house next door for the lot).  Local privy diggers stopped by and asked to dig.  They dug up a couple hand fulls of bottles and an old spoon and spitoon.  I was intrigued and asked them to stop by and check my yard for any privy clues.  They found a privy that ended up having a clay cap at around 9'.  They dug only about 30% of the privy before they had to leave.  They asked if they should fill it in or leave open for me to dig.  I asked them to leave it open for me and hopped in as soon as I arrived home from vacation.  The privy ended up being about 4' deeper than the 9' clay cap and I was told that this pit had a ton of glass.  Among all of the bottles I found a variety of items (spoons, knives, door knobs, clay pitchers, doll head, marbles, skeleton key, etc...).  I dont know much about the bottles but have been told some of the broken beers are prized bottles by the original diggers.  I've attached some phone pics.  Thanks for all of the hobbyists here for all of the great info already provided here. I dont know much about what I have but I can say that every find was a complete treasure.  I had someone offer me $100 for the broken St Louis Beer bottle but I'm having a hard time parting with it and the dang thing doesn't even have a bottom, lol. Most of my finds that weren't severely damaged.  Missing tops for a lot have been found.  I hope to find a good way to glue them on.

 Some of the broken mess that I collected to see if it fit together.

 My brother watching from the top of the pit

 In the pit

 After a small cave in, I put the hard hat on

 Mad that these were broken...

 Surprised how clean this Illinois Glass Company bottle was with just water and dawn and hand washing.

 Ball jar

 1858 Mason with hairline crack, holds water fine

 Inkwell?

 Buster Brown Plate in 3 pieces - Father stole this

 Louis Lowentrout.. found a few versions of this

 Doll Head

 

 Northrup Dry Goods Carpets - Found multiple bottoms for this bottle.  I read about the store in Bloomington, IL but have no idea what they used these bottles for.  Apparently the family was very good friends with Abraham Lincoln.

 This bottle appears to be in mint condition, probably my most prized find.

 St Louis Beer Bottle 12"

 Indianapolis Brewing Co

 Jug - My father promptly stole:

 Sifter that I made before refilling the hole


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## botlguy (Oct 15, 2014)

Welcome to the forums and that's a nice job of presentation for the first time. You did very well on that dig, good luck if you get a chance at another dig. Very good idea about the sifter, some of the best items in a privy are quite small.   Jim


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## ScottBSA (Oct 15, 2014)

Nice start on a collection.  Pretty good age range on the dig as well. Scott


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## Plumbata (Oct 15, 2014)

Hey, awesome finds and story, it's great to have newcomers to the hobby! I'm a digger/collector in Peoria, and member of the bottle club which meets monthly in Pekin. I can provide details if you like. I was wondering if one of the diggers who stopped by happened to be an English fellow? Regarding that St. Louis beer bottle, is it a quart-sized version? If so then it would have been a killer find if intact.


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## Bass Assassin (Oct 15, 2014)

Thanks for sharing your 1st dig with us. Looks like you caught on quickly. Don't know how old your property is but there could be another privy. Good luck and congratulations


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## DigIllinois (Oct 15, 2014)

@mbata yes it was Anthony and he is an English fella. Great guy! He taught me a few things and sent me on my way. Even left me his tools. And yes it is a quart size St Louis beer. I have the top that fits perfect. I'm still researching the best way to assemble it back on. I met a fella at the spoon river drive that told me about the Pekin bottle club on 3rd wednesdays at the senior hall in pekin. I need to make it out but it's a bit of a drive for me. 

@bass assassin
There is a second privy in front of this one that I will  start digging on friday. There is also a cistern that I'm looking to hop in lol. I have the bug for sure.


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## UncleBruce (Oct 15, 2014)

That LOWENTROUT is a crier.  Still fun to find though.  Have one in a pint size. Here is a picture of an intact quart.[attachment=lowentrout01.jpg]


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## DigIllinois (Oct 15, 2014)

UncleBruce said:
			
		

> That LOWENTROUT is a crier.  Still fun to find though.  Have one in a pint size. Here is a picture of an intact quart.
> [attachment=lowentrout01.jpg]



BRUCE, your site was the only place that I could find an example!  Nice to meet ya.  Do you happen to know what the bottom looks like? I tried my best to find it in the privy but couldn't find an exact match.


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## UncleBruce (Oct 15, 2014)

It is a smooth base with no embossing.


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 16, 2014)

> Northrup Dry Goods Carpets - Found multiple bottoms for this bottle.  I read about the store in Bloomington, IL but have no idea what they used these bottles for.  Apparently the family was very good friends with Abraham Lincoln.


Are the bottle bottoms or carpet savers? They should be sets of four.


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## DigIllinois (Oct 16, 2014)

cowseatmaize said:
			
		

> > Northrup Dry Goods Carpets - Found multiple bottoms for this bottle.  I read about the store in Bloomington, IL but have no idea what they used these bottles for.  Apparently the family was very good friends with Abraham Lincoln.
> 
> 
> Are the bottle bottoms or carpet savers? They should be sets of four.



ahhhh I will have to check them better tonight to see if they seem broken or just made as carpet savers.  I thought I remember part of the bottle still being attached.  I will get back to you.  Everything I find in the privy I either thought was a broken dish or a bottle, I need to research a bit more!


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## cadburys (Oct 16, 2014)

LOL.  Nice Posts Matt  I didn't realize Bruce was still on here! That pic he has of the quart is from Jim Searle's collection and is one of 2 whole ones known, Matt's is the second broken one to be found that I know of. He also found a broken M Heister pint beer which is just as rare too. I'll pop over tomorrow and check out the other pit he started to open.  Just a clarification, The pit was 9 ft deep with a clay cap at 5ft. My digging partner and I had already dug one pit that day and didn't anticipate this being more than 5 ft and a 3 hr dig....we were so wrong. It was one of those pits that you simply could not get a shovel in for the broken glass!  I'm glad we have peaked another interest in this obscure hobby we have... although I'm sure his girlfriend would have something to say...ha ha.


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## DigIllinois (Oct 16, 2014)

Thanks for clarifying Anthony, made some rookie mistakes on my original description lol.  The Northrup bottoms were definitely a bottle of maybe a drinking glass?

 *Also found this little tiny bottle that is thinner than your basic pencil.  I put it next to some marbles for comparison.*

 *And another pic of a marble*


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## UncleBruce (Oct 16, 2014)

cadburys said:
			
		

> ...I didn't realize Bruce was still on here!


 _*LURKING IS A HOBBY TOO.*_


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## UncleBruce (Oct 16, 2014)

Hope you don't mind my posting one more photo Matt.  Here is a picture of the pint size LOWENTROUT in my collection.  I believe it was dug by our friend Anthony.  This one has "THIS BOTTLE // NOT TO // BE SOLD" embossed on the back and "3B" on the base.


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## cadburys (Oct 16, 2014)

Yup Bruce, I still remember the very day! Matt also dug a couple of the Louis Lowentrout ones which are a bit later than the one you have posted.


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## cadburys (Oct 16, 2014)

Oh! and that tiny bottle is a syringe :0


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## bottlerocket (Oct 17, 2014)

cadburys said:
			
		

> Oh! and that tiny bottle is a syringe :0


Isn't that "tiny bottle" an eye dropper?I found an amber eye drop solution bottle awhile ago and this piece looks like what was inside along with the mud.


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## cadburys (Oct 17, 2014)

actually, I think you're right bottlerocket.


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## DigIllinois (Oct 19, 2014)

Thanks for the feedback on the above items, I dug the second privy and didnt find as much in it.  I think I dug approximately 20 bottles, a pocket knife, a jaw bone of something with a large fang, and some other random objects.  Most of the top layer of bricks, ash, and garbage rendered the bottles.  I have a little more digging around to the sides to do before I fill the hole completely in... I will post pictures this week of my findings.


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 19, 2014)

DigIllinois said:
			
		

> The Northrup bottoms were definitely a bottle of maybe a drinking glass?


Advertising of some sort but they both look different. Jelly jar, drinking glass or something?


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## DigIllinois (Oct 21, 2014)

The second privy was pretty much empty of all of the rubble that was found in the first privy.  I did however find that they had a dump to the side of the privy which contained some of the bottles.  After filling in the privy, I tunneled out some of the dump area.  Most of the bottles came from that area. I believe the dump site was larger than I dug but I have some trips planned and needed to get the hole filled in.  More treasure to be found later if I decide to dig a bit more. Most of the items that were dug whole:

 Harry W Giese Pharmacist Bloomington, IL

 Baird Bro's & Co Mfr's of Polishes Cleveland, OH

 Larkin Co Buffalo

> Foley Kidney Pills Foley & Co. Chicago

 Lyon Jar Pat Apr 10 1900, I believe this is the lid to the jar?



 Small Piece of China that is broken and reads Souvenir of Peoria, Ill

 Small doll that is about the same size as a small perfume bottle

 Pocket knife that is being soaked in lime away

 Unknown item (found 3) that say Victory on the bottoms

 A jaw bone of an unknown animal apparently with a fang?


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## goodman1966 (Oct 21, 2014)

That's  a wild pigs jawbone, lower I believe. Nice digs !


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 21, 2014)

> Unknown item (found 3) that say Victory on the bottoms


What's it look like from a different angle and what's the Patent date?


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## nhpharm (Oct 21, 2014)

I wouldn't call a 20-bottle privy dig too bad at all.  Some of the privies I dig I am very lucky to find anything at all...


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## MIssissaugadigger (Oct 21, 2014)

Way to go !Nice finds .


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## DigIllinois (Oct 22, 2014)

nhpharm said:
			
		

> I wouldn't call a 20-bottle privy dig too bad at all.  Some of the privies I dig I am very lucky to find anything at all...



That sounded like complaining, it was a lot of fun.  I found it odd that the privy was empty for the most part while the dirt around it seemed to be the  dump site and contained 90% of the bottles.  





			
				MIssissaugadigger said:
			
		

> Way to go !Nice finds .


Thank you! 





			
				goodman1966 said:
			
		

> That's a wild pigs jawbone, lower I believe. Nice digs !


Very nice, thanks for the info, my old man actually mentioned that and I thought he was crazy, ha! 





			
				cowseatmaize said:
			
		

> > Unknown item (found 3) that say Victory on the bottoms
> 
> 
> What's it look like from a different angle and what's the Patent date?


 These are bell shaped.  The patent dates are very difficult to distinguish but it appears that there are two patents. Jun 25 89 maybe? Jun 13 75? Here are some more pics....


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks. I don't see a "Y" so is it just VICTOR? There was an old Victor tool company. I'm thinking sharpening stones for a tool to do that kind of thing.Interesting whatever they are.[8|]


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