GRANDPA DIG/JUNE 12th Digging Results

I spent the weekend up in Northern Michigan with my Grandfather. He retired 10 years ago and moved there to a house he built between the years of 1977-1987. Actually, a lot of people helped build the house including myself. Around those parts of the country neighbors and relatives alike join in on the fun. I basically spent part of my life growing up there. I have always loved going up north and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the town there was a logging town back in the late 1880's.
I've known this for some time but have really never thought about privy hunting there until late last fall when I excavated one privy before the usual 6 feet of snow fell. Last year we went together to dig a pit. It was loaded with bottles from the 1890's. He was really surprised at the stuff that came out, and is generally enthusiastic about privy hunting. Our usual method of entertainment is working on and riding motorcycles together, but I think we have found yet another way to enjoy each other's company.

We dug several pits ranging from the 1880's to the 1950's. Being in a town that has never been outfitted with city water or sewer means outhouses were used for quite a long time. This makes it necessary to dig quite a few test holes. I have to apologize now because I took lots of pictures to document the dig, but they did not turn out due to weak batteries.
It was easy digging due to the sugar consistency of the sand that is up there, and you don't even need a probe to spot a privy. Just look for the depression! Definitely a good place for new privy hunters to start. There is a drawback to the ease of locating privies two fold. One being there really is no age to speak of, and also a high probability of an ABM pit.
None the less, it is still a blast digging pits with the thrill of not knowing what is lying below the soil as each layer of dirt is eagerly removed.

The several different excavations yielded some nice window bottles, and a good pot lid. I didn't find my wish bottle, a local embossed druggist, but digging with my Grandpa is all the fun I could wish for.

FIRST PRIVY..LAST FALL