Need your advice/expertise

[Old Katz]

I need to get an Idea how far out away from old foundationsI should be looking for
old dumps. Also what tell tale signs should I notice that would indicate where the dump is.

Did these old timers just throw it in a heap or did they try to bury their refuse?

I'm haveing a probe made for me so I can go out and probe around the ground but
it would help if I knew where to look.

In your experience, how many feet on average would the dumps be from the house/building?

Katz

 

[dahut]

I need to get an Idea how far out away from old foundationsI should be looking for
old dumps. Also what tell tale signs should I notice that would indicate where the dump is.

Did these old timers just throw it in a heap or did they try to bury their refuse?

I'm haveing a probe made for me so I can go out and probe around the ground but
it would help if I knew where to look.

In your experience, how many feet on average would the dumps be from the house/building?

Katz

Dumps were at a distance, usually, and out back. But, it depended on the land available. In the country they could be quite a ways off, in town not so. Every old timer I've asked has said these things. Of course you know about privy's, but there were other "pits."

There was a small one near the house, but it was often a burn pit sort of thing. The main dump was back in the woods, often in a hole. Sometimes it was in a ravine or gully. Generally, the bottle and clean refuse pit was at the back of the common area, or yard. It may appear as a sunken area if the ground has been undisturbed. But then, I've seen 'diggers' (bottle hounds) poke them up right near the house, on a city lot. A probe will find them, as a rule.

People don't like to go far to do anything, including dumping trash. What you need to do is establish the size of the common or working are of the lot and probe the edges, first. But since it was trash and could attract vermin

 

[Gene]

Back in the 1960's and early 1970's I went into many so-called Ghost Towns
that were mostly in Colorado and Utah. These were old mining towns and
we went there in search of old bottles and insulators. We used our Metrotech
detector to locate the dumps by searching until we came upon the tin cans.....
a lot of tin cans. The trash dumps were pretty easy to locate if you knew where
the homes were. It seemed to us that a lot of times they just dug a big hole
in the back of the house and threw almost everything right in. When it got full
they just filled it in with dirt. That's what we thought anyway and it worked out
well for us. A lot of the glass bottles we found were broken of course but you
would still find some intact along with some that would still have their contents
inside. Just probe gently when you get to these dumps and walk carefully.
We also followed old railroad lines that were no longer in use and many times
collected the date nails out out the railroad ties. Collecting the insulators
from the same area was a natural progression. Don't know if it's the same today
or not but these places we went to were pretty far off the beaten path. Wouldn't
see any other people for days sometimes. Good luck in your search !

 

[Uncle Willy]

A lot of times folks would use a ravine, gully, or dry wash behind their homes for their dump. They also disposed of stuff in the outhouse pits. If you live in forest country there are a lot of old public dumps scattered around in the forest, usually next to a logging road. Me and my buddy used to do a fair amount of dump diving. One time we found parts from a twenty something roadster, including the complete fold down windshield with frame complete, the glass unbroken, and the green glass, beveled rear view mirror intact. Sold it at a classic car flea market for a hunk. Also found some small parts such as the old vacuum pump ( precursor to the fuel pump ). One thing to watch for in some old dumps are "dump scorpions.")

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah my aunt and uncle lived in the country on the edge of the woods and used a ravine right behind the house.

Bill

 

[Old Katz]

The area where I'll be hunting is an old town no longer in evidence.
It was on the slope of a hill and went down toward the creek/river so I'm
not sure where they would have dumped their refuse. I'll look for the depressions
you all indicated and maybe I'll get lucky.
I'm having my granddaughters step-father weld me a probe with pointed tip.

ANother area is behind what used to be an old old hotel (1800's) now gone except
for the old wine cellar. Its on the top of a hill but down the hill aways is the spring where they
got their water. I haven't checked it out yet but I wonder if the dump might be close to
the spring.

Have you guys ever found any coins at the dumps?

Katz

 

[dahut]

The area where I'll be hunting is an old town no longer in evidence.
It was on the slope of a hill and went down toward the creek/river so I'm
not sure where they would have dumped their refuse. I'll look for the depressions
you all indicated and maybe I'll get lucky.
I'm having my granddaughters step-father weld me a probe with pointed tip.

ANother area is behind what used to be an old old hotel (1800's) now gone except
for the old wine cellar. Its on the top of a hill but down the hill aways is the spring where they
got their water. I haven't checked it out yet but I wonder if the dump might be close to
the spring.

Have you guys ever found any coins at the dumps?

Katz

I would be surprised to find a dump site near a bold spring. Probably not uphill, either.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah there won't be any dumps near their drinking water supply no more than you would find an outhouse near one.

Bill

 

[DJR]

I remember when I was a young buck in my early 20's I used to work in a campground near Haymarket, Va. and on one of my off days I hiked a creek that led me to a farm field. Adjacent to this field was an old antibellum home columns and all no windows though. It was if time had stopped in this little patch of the world. I investigated this neat find and saw a ravine next to the woods approximatley 300' from the front of the house. It still was exposed and had everything from old bottles to old metal and "trash items". Boy if I could find that place now (if it exists still) I know it has/had alot of history behind it and I would not be surprised if it didn't have some attachment to some battle of the Cival War as Haymarket was not far from the Manassass battles.

I guess what I am trying to reveal here is it all depends on how the house was in relation to the topography of the environment. Again one should do there homework and try to find out how the home was situated on the site.

Don

 

[Mick56]

Back in the middle '70's, I did a lot of bottle hunting around abandoned farms in Wis. Most of the dumps were very close to the back door. I would find some bottles 10 feet from the house. I believe, especially in the winter, they literally opened the door and tossed the trash out in the back yard.