Outhouse Pits

[starsplitter]

Greetings Old Hands:

Can anyone clue me in? What signs/indicators should I look for to identify an old outhouse pit? Were they generally located in certain spots, etc? Is there usually a depression in the ground?

Thanks,

Mark

 

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[Skrimpy]

Yes. I have only dug one but we found it with a 5 foot spring steel probe. You stick the probe into the ground and if you here crunching of ash or poping of glass you know you've got one of two places...an old dump or a privy. I've heard you can also feel for layers. Probe a spot you think is the natural soil. Feel how it feels...then probe where you think the privy is. If you feel a difference from what you think is the native soil and alternating densities there is probably some sort of pit there that has been filled with different things (ie a privy).

 

[starsplitter]

Skrimpy,

Thanks for the reply... okay, a dumb question: where do I get a probe? If I must make one from scratch, any specifications?

Thanks again.

Mark

 

[Skrimpy]

Not sure where you can get them. The one we were using was my buddy's but I have heard if you can find a large truck in a junk yard you mught be able to vulture the hood holder and take it to a welder to make a "T" out of it and have a round tip put on the probe end. I'm sure there are places that make them. You need to make sure to get spring steel though. I think the guy at privydigger.com has some explanation on getting/making a probe.

 

[Dharmacy]

Mark,

Here are some pics of one I made. Like Skrimpy said, the trunk springs of older cars are a good source of spring steel. I used the trunk spring rod from a 70's caddy for this one.
The handle is 18", I drilled a hole halfway thru the pipe, then welded it in. The tip was formed by building up a bead of weld, then shaping it with a grinder. This is important as it lets the probe enter the ground better, and will bring up a little bit of the dirt to look for ash, etc. This probe I built to find Civil War huts so it is only a four footer. A privy probe would be longer, perhaps 6-8 feet, but it is always good to have several different sizes, they are easy to make.

Good Luck,
D.

 

[EDDE]

http://www.eatonbrothers.com/cemetery/finderprobe.html

 

[starsplitter]

D & Ed... thanks.

 

[OldBillinUT]

Nice job Dharmacy! Is that hard face rod on the tip ? I like your idea of the tip pulling up some of what is under the surface. I have seen some for sale but they are simple straight probes.
Good stuff thanks !

 

[lakillian]

Just curious, why would you want to dig an outhouse hole?

lakillian

 

[downindixie]

Just curious, why would you want to dig an outhouse hole?

lakillian

Take a look at this web site,some bottles bring thousands of dollars!


http://privydigger.com/journals.htm

 

[JOE(USA)]

HOW TO FIND OLD OUTHOUSE PITS:

1. The out house would be downwind of the main house 90% of the time. Most all locations have a prevailing wind direction.

2. In the back of the house,not in front But may be to either side.

3.(50') +- from the house.

4. Level ground was preferred between the main house and the outhouse. (Look at the terrain.)

5. If the site was inhabited for a long period of time you may find several old pits all within 6' to 10' from each other.

6. Common Items you may find in an old outhouse pit: perfume and whiskey bottles, handguns,coins,buttons,pocketknives,jewelry.

 

[lakillian]

Other things you might find... urine and feces. The bottles are beautiful and old but I don't know if I could dig in that knowing what was and is there.

lakillian

 

[Skrimpy]

Just curious, why would you want to dig an outhouse hole?

lakillian

You see that bottle in downdixies avatar? That's why. If people knew back then what we know now they would not have sold ANY of those bottles, making them worthless...but they didn't so now, some of them can bring hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

 

[Skrimpy]

Other things you might find... urine and feces. The bottles are beautiful and old but I don't know if I could dig in that knowing what was and is there.

lakillian

Aha! That's just it. Most if not all that stuff is decomposed and if you get down 20 feet in a 100 year old pit and it smells like sewer, I would get out. That would indicate to me that there was, and is not enough oxygen for the critters in the soil and feces to consume the stuff, and probably not enough oxygen for you. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it being a toilet. Most of the time that stuff will be gone. Be careful though. There are dangers involved. Dust, ash, mold, bacteria, cave-ins, low O2, can all pose a threat to your life. Clean cuts, wear dust masks, bail the water and shore the sides as you go deeper.

 

[wolfmanjoe3]

HOW TO FIND OLD OUTHOUSE PITS:

1. The out house would be downwind of the main house 90% of the time. Most all locations have a prevailing wind direction.

2. In the back of the house,not in front But may be to either side.

3.(50') +- from the house.

4. Level ground was preferred between the main house and the outhouse. (Look at the terrain.)

5. If the site was inhabited for a long period of time you may find several old pits all within 6' to 10' from each other.

6. Common Items you may find in an old outhouse pit: perfume and whiskey bottles, handguns,coins,buttons,pocketknives,jewelry.

I grew up in a farmhouse built in 1885 and we didn't have an indoor bathroom when I was little. I agree with all of the items above except for #3. Our outhouse was in the corner of a woodshed about 20 feet from the back door of our house. If you ever had to run to use the privy in the middle of the night or on a cold winter's day, you know why you don't want it more than 50 feet from the house...

 

[Skrimpy]

I grew up in a farmhouse built in 1885 and we didn't have an indoor bathroom when I was little. I agree with all of the items above except for #3. Our outhouse was in the corner of a woodshed about 20 feet from the back door of our house. If you ever had to run to use the privy in the middle of the night or on a cold winter's day, you know why you don't want it more than 50 feet from the house...

I have heard count 16 long paces from the back door and you should be close
checking downwind first of course.

 

[EDDE]

Other things you might find... urine and feces. The bottles are beautiful and old but I don't know if I could dig in that knowing what was and is there.

lakillian

its just rich black dirt now 8)

 

[redneckinwayz]

Cash & Treasures had a show on last night about outhouse pits and digging bottles..

Sure was nice to see the host (Becky Worley) actually climbing a pit and digging in the rain.... Gives the show some credit worthyness.

There was a mention of some maps availble from historical societys, anyone catch this....

I'm fairly new to bottle digging, but I have collected bottles for quite some time. My bottle finds have been limited to finding them in old barns and such.... no digging. But now that I have a ton of time and nothing to do I want to try it.

 

[ModernMiner]

Cash & Treasures had a show on last night about outhouse pits and digging bottles..

There was a mention of some maps available from historical society's, anyone catch this....

I watched it too. The maps mentioned were called Sanborn maps. You can Google search them for more info. It looks like you find them at some of the libraries. It's all new to me, but you can bet I'll be giving it a try. I already ordered a probe today from this site:
http://www.cowboyblacksmith.com/probe.htm.
Come on $1000 bottle. (Yeah, right)
Good luck,
-MM-

 

[Skrimpy]

Cash & Treasures had a show on last night about outhouse pits and digging bottles..
Sure was nice to see the host (Becky Worley) actually climbing a pit and digging in the rain.... Gives the show some credit worthyness.

You mean like Bob Villa?

There was a mention of some maps availble from historical societys, anyone catch this....

Be careful with Historical Societies. They are a double edged sword. Some are full of fun loving guys and gals that would love to do as much to help you as they can, and be excited for you when you make a good find. Others are full of other people that either think that you shouldn't have the stuff because your "not qualified" to preserve or store such artifacts and it should be left to the pros, or they just want the stuff for themselves. I heard about a woman here in my town that donated a family heirloom piece (don't ask me what the piece, I wasn't told when I heard the story) for some sort of historical show the local historical society put on. Needless to say, she went to the show to look at her piece and it was not there, and then whe she questioned the very same person she gave it to, their response was "what donated peice are you talking about?" She still doesn't have it back and probably never will.