Question for you privy diggers

[RICKJJ59W]

There were times when we didn't find the pits on a property until the third time back probing. keep going back

 

[appliedlips]

Rick & Zane or right, concentrate on one or two lots and don't leave until you find them.. I go back on lots and find pits I missed all of the time and one's digger's with more experience than me have missed.. Keep at it and you will find them. Keep in mind that some small towns have very shallow pits ( 3-4 ft.) and aren't always big like you see pics of online. You won't always have ash layers in them either so if it feels soft in an isolated area go ahead and dig even with no ash or brick on the probe. It takes time but success isn't far away.

 

[DiggerRL]

no side yards or anything, its all crammed together, the red is the alley, the brown x's are empty lots buildings gone, the circle is where we dug, this is the 1911 map, didn't notice the no roof, its a small structure there on the 1920 map, thought it might be a privy. Figured the alley was the best place but with all those utilities in there, if they were shallow, then they've been destroyed.

 

[DiggerRL]

and this is how it looked in 1885

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Those long row home yards look prime for pits.The places we dig look just like that.You mean to tell me there are no sinking spots in any of those yards??Thats kind of weird.
How old are the houses? (built date) In yards that dated 1850 we found 4 to 5 pits in a yard.I'm not saying thats how it is every where because some used the pits over and over.But like I said before probe the death out of them lots.Like Doug said dig every soft spot,we learned our lesson but speculating,and not digging if-E holes.

 

[DiggerRL]

there are no yards, each building is part of the next one. the open center area is half gravel, and half asphalt parking lot, no yards, no grass to speak of, and those are train tracks at the bottom of the map. The center area looks today like the 1885 map, but the buildings are like the later map. The left side is gravel, right side is asphalt. The boxes in this case aren't yards or lots, but the actual structures. They look like long lots, but those are the actual buildings. They are long, narrow and each built up against the next. The hardware building with the elevator (the E outlined with dotted lines) and platform connecting to the ware house, was built in 1891, the warehouse is gone now, just gravel parking lot there. So its streets around three sides, railroad track at the bottom, and since there is no central courtyard, I figured they have to be up close to the backs of the buildings, unless they were inside. The building with elevator is intact, I went inside it last week with the owner when I got permission to dig. The elevator still works, its manual, not electric, small freight elevator, you spin a wheel and pull a rope, they used it to lower some stuff down from the upper story.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

I cant read the small script on your map but I could have sworn they were yards.I tried to find a shot of a map I had to show you, but I cant find it. That just goes to show you how much I use S.B maps never! [] I have 2 steps I use for finding pits. 1. get permission 2.probe yard. thats it. I never found a pit using a map.We only use them once in a blue moon if we need to find out who's property line is who's.

 

[baltbottles]

Hi Ron,

From looking at your map I would think that all the buildings in this block are either 2nd or 3rd generation buildings Most were likely built after the mid 1860s And its possible being that this was the downtown commercial district they mite have some form of plumbing. This allowed them to built completely over the property since there was no need for an outhouse or yard. However if the buildings don't have basements the privies from any earlier buildings that existed on this block are likely still intact just under the floors. I would focus on the empty lots where the buildings have been torn down. This should give you access to original backyard dirt (likely under a few feet of debris). As for the privies being in the courtyard or alley I doubt that because its a public right of way. I’ve found very few privies in public areas and they usually predated the rest of the neighborhood. If your town is big enough I suggest going to the historical society and see if there is a town atlas that is earlier then 1885 preferably pre civil war is best. This way you can see what predated the larger commercial buildings.

Chris

 

[appliedlips]

Agreed, looking at that map it's going to be tough going.. No room for pits on that map.

 

[andy g]

Doug & Chris are correct that this is a hard go & the pits may be under a few feet of rubble. With that said, if I had the run of these lots and could do whatever I wanted, I would start on the side where there is asphalt by running test holes and probing along the wall of No. 37 and in the cubbyhole behind No. 36 on the right hand side of the Sanborn. That looks the least impacted by building expansion/demolition and, if there are really pits, usually there are small sinks or depressions in the asphalt. My next choice for exploring would be to do the same in the narrow space between the bottling works and Nos. 39 & 40 on the right hand side of the Sanborn. Hopefully the bottling works did not take out the pits -- a long tape measure might be helpful to make sure you are not digging in the foundation of the bottling works.

Another search I would do -- since I hate Sanborn maps other than to show lot lines and changes on a site -- is to look for pre-1870 maps and any images of the buildings and typical backyard in your commercial district. You might be surprised. It also would be helpful to have a sense of whether you are looking for wood, stone or brickliners & whether the outhouses are in the yards or up against the building as this info might make your looking a tad bit easier. Of course, you could always call your local experienced privy digger -- if they have not been there already that is. []

Good luck.