Homestead Investigation tips?

[berkeley bottle boy]

When you're investigating an old homestead [say 1880 to the Teens], where do you look for the outhouse or for the garbage dump?

Within a 1min walk? Further? Would they be downhill and downstream? Actually in a creek if there is one?

[OT]

Hello 3 B's

Here is a quote from one of the best bottle folks alive, Michael Polak, that wrote "Identification and Price Guide," "For those that with a stomach for it, one of the best places to find an old bottle is in an old outhouse or privy. Like household dumps, most outhouses were located behind the residence about thirty yards away. Because of the rich fertilized ground, an unexpected grouping of vegetation, such as a clump of bushes or trees, is good evidence of an outhouse location. Outhouses have been known to yield not only bottles but guns, coins, knives, and even toys. As a note of caution, the dirt surrounding these outhouses is very soft and can be very dangerous. I always recommend that people work these sites in pairs, taking as many safety precautions as possible."

Good luck,

:DT

[jim]

Hi BBB, that would be fun all right. I've never tried it.
One suggestion, judt incase you missjudged the age of the OH, wear your waders & a good snorkel might be in order. Just kidding,hahahahaha..HH....j
im ;D

[925Bill]

Hi, B.B.B. 925Bill here. I just now read your question and have to completely agree with my old, I mean, longtime friend, O.T. The information he gave is right-on! The clump or small area of vegetation sometimes looks out of place, especially if it is a yard or site mostly overgrown with brownish-blondish dry lookin’ weeds. The decomposition of organic materials provides rich nutrients for vegetation to thrive. I know your question was along the lines of finding the spot where the dump was at an old homestead. But how about finding the homestead itself! I won’t get into it to deep, as “me thinks my description would head towards “the dark side,”(I haven’t been yet. The link.) where I am quite at home. Anyway, “learn-up” on native and non-native plants, trees, etc. Like, a row of cypress trees, in a straight line, (a wind break, or property boundary) some grouping of fruit trees, berry bushes. Look for ivy, (it’s common everywhere, though not native) vinca (pronounced vin-ca), or other groundcover. I “lucked-out”as my brother has been a California certified nurserymen for years, and an Ornithologist (study of birds.) forever. And both have proved invaluable, in some aspect of TH’ing, since I started, back in my teens. Right in Burlingame(on the S.F. peninsula) along “101”, there is a place my girlfriend and I look at certain times of the year where there is a Bald Eagle, right in plain site, if you knew where to look, it’s beautiful! I tell friends, some say, yeah right! Uh huh. Sure, Bill. Then I tell where, they go and can’t believe it! They’ve driven by there a thousand times and “never would have thunk”one would be there! It’s like T.Hing, you just never know! Thanks for reading this way to long reply. Good luck to you! 925Bill.

[Rudy]

Am I the only one that gets a bunch of crazy characters in your messages Bill.

[Vern2sjc]

Hey Rudy I get them also. Maybe he needs to rearrange the keyboard keys? Vern2sjc