Finds from the old dump on my parents property...

MrMarsHill · Mar 14, 2020

My parents own several acres of land in the middle of nowhere out here. While cleaning up a spot near the creek, where we eventually built our Camp, we started finding old trash. Old tractor pieces and horse shoes, files, tools, bottles, tires, iron whatsit's, hand forged chain and just the most random crap. Including a late 1890s bicycle seat and clothes/shoes etc. Today I was bored and decided to dig out the spot I found my 1936 art deco bottle recently. I hit it with my Garrett and it showed iron EVERYWHERE but there were several squeaky targets too. I believe this old faucet handle( if that's what it is?) Is brass or the like and was probably setting the high tone off. It is marked on the bottom. In a diamond shape it has 4 letters, first thought was DUKE, but I'm not so sure. I just cant read it. I'm a jeweler and have loupes and magnefiers if all types, not to mention an eagle eye for small hallmarks etc. I cant read it, but maybe somebody recognizes the logo? It also says "31-4" which I imagine is a model or mold #? Possibly date mark? Along with the faucet I found lots of small iron pieces, broken glass and pottery and more cloth and rivets etc. I also pulled this broken, but still functional(kind of, lol) tool. A crimping tool of some sort? Blacksmith tool? Nut cracker lol? It's missing most of one handle and the other isnt in great shape but the 2 halves still swivel and come together. I'm sure someone can recognize the tool! I know there was a blacksmith in the area, too many hand forged items and bits and pieces of iron, but so much household trash too? There are several old farms around the area and I imagine they must have come to this spot in the creek to dump. I've never hit bottom on the relics yet, just scratching the surface really! We even find square nails on the surface after a heavy rain at times. Definitely had some old action going on. Any info on my tool or the maker of my faucet handle, if that's even what I have, would be great! I'm sure I'll be posting finds from this site for years... I know I'll be digging it forever!

A2coins · Mar 15, 2020

Those are nice finds bet theres tons of awesome relics and to be on your parents property also win win keep those pics comin

MrMarsHill · Mar 15, 2020

Yeah @A2 Coins we really hit the jackpot as far as we are concerned. Most people I know (NOT TNet members obviously, lol) wouldnt be happy to find they had an old dump on their property... we are proud to have it! I will get some pics next time I go out there too. We have left most of our finds around the "camp", but I bring home the cool little stuff and glass etc. I'm still waiting for a coin to come out of here. 3 years weve been digging and have found crazy amounts of iron, copper and brass relics. I'm always excited when I see any patina besides straight rust come out of the ground Haha! I will be sure to post some pics or a vid of the dump and what weve found so far. Plenty of unidentified finds to post... too many actually Haha! I appreciate the reply! This tool I found is still driving me crazy too, no clue what it is exactly...

cudamark · Mar 15, 2020

Looks to me like you found an inside door release handle off an old car, and a window latch.

MrMarsHill · Mar 15, 2020

That wouldnt surprise me. There have been lots of model A and model T parts found right next to wagon parts, mystery motor parts, bike parts, horse tack, glass bottles, shoes/clothes and dishes. It's a random mix, but I wouldn't doubt your ID on both items. If it is a car door handle, would the mark inside a diamond shape mean anything to anybody? Maybe someone more familiar with old cars? I know back in the good ol days they marked everything just about as it was all quality made in the USA, every single part. I found a tiny part of a model A Magneto a few months ago. It was brass or copper and had a name and patent number etched in so obviously I kept it and looked it up! I LOVE patent numbers! Either way, it turned out to be an aftermarket part of the magneto. I'll throw a pic in for reference. I've also found several old spark plugs too. A champion J8J(not cleaned yet) and an AC 46... both rusty, but cool to display with my automotive junk lol. Could this door handle say FORD? I swear I see 4 letters in the diamond. I guess Ford never had a logo with a diamond though? It's all just junk, but helps us date the dump and I actually keep alot of this stuff. I love finding something, cleaning it up, researching it and posting it here, preserving and displaying them. I truly enjoy every aspect of our hobby, even the more "boring" ones lol.. I enjoy that almost as much as I enjoy finding non "junk" items like coins and civil war relics etc. But I'm a research geek to say the least and I love almost anything with some age to it lol.My wife is very forgiving also regarding my collecting, and my workshop/mancave/office has plenty of space and 9' ceilings... shelves are my best friend lol. I can still keep about anything I want at this point lol. I repurpose things where I can too. Ive sold lots of "trash" as pieces of "art", used parts in jewelry, standalone display pieces as well as displays for other relics etc. Like the large piston (I believe?) I have the spark plugs sitting in the pic .Its a large part of my business honestly, almost everything I make has something repurposed and most is found as well! I kinda thought I may be able to make something from this old magneto part that someone would like, even just a keychain maybe? I was born in the 80's but was raised about 50% of my childhood by my grandparents. They were both children of the depression and threw almost nothing away. It was instilled in me from birth to not waste, to reuse and recycle anything possible and respect the earth. Though we are enjoying ourselves doing it, our goal is to excavate the entire dump eventually. Get all the trash out and save what we can! We've already set up a permanent camp right on the dump site near the creek where we have family gatherings, shoot our guns, camp and have fires etc. I appreciate any further info regarding the possible manufacturer of the car door handle or even if I am way off thinking the stamp could be the car manufacturer. I'd love to know what the "31-4" means as well. Those are the type of little mysteries that keep me searching, lol! I can see this being a window latch also, but I'm not 100% convinced yet. I will go with that for now though for sure. It reminds me of the basement window latches in my last (built 1930s) house, but this is quite different too, I'm sure there were many types through the years. Thanks for the reply, and any further ones are not only welcomed, but greatly appreciated! Y next situation on this property that will someday be mine, on the land survey my mom had done... there is a burial ground listed. It's not on the map, just mentioned at the bottom that her land includes a burial ground. I'm not sure if it was cleared away when they developed the mountain, but if not I'd love to rediscover it! Another post for another day, but any thoughts on that guys? I know lots of old cemeteries are near old dumps and both are usually near creeks. Got a creek, dump and the burial ground is listed... gets ya thinking! I sure hope it wasnt destroyed. Thanks for the support and Happy safe hunting everybody!