halfdime
Silver Member
Actually, this one was enforced 95 years ago. I was at my aunt's house, searching for privies, when I came across a little area with broken glass beneath the surface. Uncovering the soil with a hand tool, I found glass and pieces of china and pottery, then spotted this round object in the dirt. I thought at first it might be a miner's tag, but saw the slotted opening and wasn't so sure. It wasn't until I got home and gave the piece a good scrub that I saw what it was. Apparently, what we now call a dog license (and I've found plenty) was called a Dog Tax (which is more accurate!) as far back as 1916. This one says, "DOG TAX for 1916 paid 2580 Beaver County, Pennsylvania. I did manage to find a privy, probably the most recent one at a house that dates to the early 1800's and was torn down in 1971. It was shallow for a privy, but held the unmistakable remnants one often finds in such places (grain). I managed a milk bottle and a small Vick's, along with two marbles. There were also (I'll assume) a salt and a pepper shaker. They're soaking now, so I'll get a picture up in Bottles and Glass later. There have to be privies about in a place that old; now, it's just a matter of finding them and that shouldn't be too hard!
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