Question for you privy diggers

[DiggerRL]

Have any of you ever dug privies in commerical districts? I just got permission for several properties in a small rural town. They are in the old business district, each wall built against the next, etc all with a common alley behind them. No small structures are shown on the sanborn maps until 1922 and there are three possibilities on that map. I've got the maps from 1885 forward and some of these builings were on all of them. I was wondering if each store would have had a privy out back? That seems like a lot to me, thought it more likely to have several community privies in the back alleys, as the small structures are pretty well spaced out one on each end and one in the middle. Have any of you done this type of dig, and what are your experiences digging in a downtown historical section? Would I be better off to concentrate on neighborhoods surrounding the old "down town" and focus on houses instead? This location is near an old depot, had several hotels around it, many drug stores and soda fountains, even a liquor store at one time (on the 1885 map) I feel like there should be some good stuff hiding there if I can just locate where to dig. Going to do some probing today and saturday and see if I can locate a privy. Any tips, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your thoughts and inputs

Ron

 

[appliedlips]

Sounds like a great spot, most of the time no more than two will be sharing a pit except in big cities where there is no room. In a small rural town the commercial district could be the best place to find larger, trashy holes.. Look on the Sanborns and key on boarding houses, saloons, hotels, pool halls, and other places where drinking was being done. Good luck.

 

[DiggerRL]

thanks, there were a lot of different things on this block between 1885 and 1922. Grocery stores, several drug stores, on the 1885 map there is one marked liquors and three that are marked as Sal. (saloon i hope?), barbers, and other stores. On the 1906 map there are several soda fountains and on the 1911 map a bottling works. Several hotels across the street and there was a train depot on one side. All the hotels were around the train depot and one building labeled opera house. I'm really excited about this site, I'm a dump digger, I've been digging bottles for 15 years, but have never dug a privy, some of these buildings were built in 1830's

 

[cyberdigger]

You could be sitting on a gold mine, Ron.. if that town hasn't been dug yet and you find the sweet spots.. you BETTER be excited..!!

 

[appliedlips]

Sal. = saloon . It sounds like a great opportunity and I would dig every privy that was old that I could find... Good luck with your digs.

 

[DiggerRL]

well thats the question isn't it, can I find em? I've read a lot about finding them and digging them, but I've never done either. Neither has either of my digging buddies. Always a first time a guess. Some of it is covered in gravel parking lot will be tough to probe, since they are all crammed together, I'm hoping they are close to the buildings and not under the gravel, or maybe in the alley between the buildings.....with my luck the ac units in the alley are sitting on them, the alley is still dirt though, we shall see....no units where the pool hall and building marked Sal. were.

 

[Jim]

Ron, I also live and dig in a smaller town. The old downtown business district here is mostly paved over, but I dig the pits there any time I get a chance. I have found that they are often much harder to find than a backyard house pit. Whenever you do find one, they tend to be very deep (20 feet+) and also very loaded. That's not to say that none of them could possibly be a dipped-clean bust, but they have been very good to me so far.

Larger buildings that are close together will often have a small courtyard out back. Pits can be located in these. Other than that, check out parking lots, especially along the property lines. Good luck, if you keep at it, you should be able to find a few nice pits. ~Jim

 

[zanes_antiques]

Sounds like you have the makings of some good digging. Follow the perimeter of the property lines probing about two to four feet from the lines all the way around. Sometimes they are in the middle of the lots too. Also, look for the main back door and go in a B-line straight back. Sometimes youll feel the old walkway under ther grass. Look for slight depressions or puddles after a good rain. The center of town is the best spot to dig. You have the tough part behind you(getting permission). Now all you have to do is find the holes. They are there! Dont give up til you do and if you dont find them we will get a privy finding posse together and be right out.

 

[Just Dig it]

you Lucky Dog[] You Should Dedicate a whole Thread to that area once you start digging it..you know because its fun ..not because i wanna view all the sick finds to be had...just because itd be cool[]

 

[DiggerRL]

Well, that posse may be necessary. I've probed it for two days, until one arm fell off and the other is dangling. Kastoo and I punched a hole where we were getting ash and black dirt on the probe this morning. Got through a couple hard caps and was able to bury the probe. At about 3 1/2 feet we hit river deposits, sand and clay. It apparently was a coal bin based on the amount that came out of a layer about 2 feet down. I'm afraid the city has destroyed the alley, its still dirt but there has been water, gas, and sewer run down it, hesitant to dig there. I know its got to be there, but most of the ground is hard as concrete and I can't determine any difference when probing. Kastoo did find a marble today. Will keep trying....