Small Jackpot from the 1800s Didn't Give Itself Up Easily

Forestburg, South Dakota:
Excavating three outhouse pits at the former sites of the train depot, hardware store, and hotel in Forestburg, South Dakota.
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#antiques #archaeology #history #metaldetecting #magnetfinishing #mudlark #vintage,
#bottledigging, #antiquebottles, #bottles, #dumpdigging, #privydigging, #southdakota, #treasurehunting, #oldbottles, #metaldetecting,#archeology#ghosttown, #northdakota, #vintagefinds, #vintagebottles, #abandoned, #old, #stagecoach, #adventure, #mudlarker, #mudlark, #wildwestgold,#wildwest, #buried, #buriedtreasure, #victorian, #victorianera, #jackpot, ,#1800s,#1890s, #1880s#1870s,#1860s,#1900s,#1910s,#militaryhistory

[@joegrassel]

Such an interesting channel. Thank you for keeping our history alive.

[@jrpacer6355]

One thing for sure they liked to drink alot

[@chris-ex8dp]

I like that you give some history on the places that you dig at.

[@birdwatcnetty9881]

THANK YOU!!!!! You guys are the best at doing these videos. Love them!!!

[@carolynsimone8647]

Love your video...keeping us aware of just how things have changed...🥰

[@marg233]

I love wen Tom gives us a bit of history along w the old photographs and his finds, gives us a bit of insight to days gone by, it's wonderful thanks Tom✌🏻 and Jake and cabbage clearly see change in color w the layers 👏🏻

[@bobross5580]

I have no idea why this interests me as much as it does... You seem very knowledgeable in all things "Bottle" Thank you.

[@jeanettenicholas2863]

I love all your finds and the history behind the bottles good luck

[@warrenmink2429]

Awesome digs man , yet another group of finds showcasing American history as none of us could never understand, thanks to you we can have at least a good idea ! Thank you for your efforts.and sharing with us .

[@nvs4u2]

Great video. Love these digs. Looks like winter is blowing in. We’re originally from the same area, where the wind never stops blowing.

[@michaelschuenemann3505]

Great Early Bottles and You Uncovered the Train Platform - wow ! Great that You dig Up the History and Preserving it - well done and many Cheers from us in Australia !!!!

[@darlene1967]

That shifter knob is gorgeous. Travis from crick digger got on two weeks ago and he’s pretty proud of it.

[@kgreen7918]

Thank you for the history behind the sights you dig! Makes the videos more interesting! I have family in the Dakota's.

[@andrewowens9382]

Hi Tom and jake ireally enjoyed watching your videos it's marvellous how you know to look for the bottles I'm glad you explain why they're so many extrac bottles with the whisky ones can't wait for the next videos all the best Andrew south wales uk 👍 👌 😀 🇬🇧

[@BBQNBLUES]

That small Green Pickle Jar? is Gorgeous ! Would Love to own it.

[@alanatolstad4824]

I'm frequently amazed that, while you may show disappointment, you two never show discouragement.---I used to appreciate your showing the beginning map of where you are. I always pause to look up Google maps!

[@danarandol164]

I am so reassured when you wear gloves, Tom, anxious as heck when you don’t 😂

[@andrewchase7684]

Looks Great! Thanks For Sharing Guys!

[@melissasprinkel1670]

Found you on TikTok I’m also a bottle digger or dumps old dumps and behind houses love it

[@libertymichel7649]

How do you know where to dig?

[@anteburazin69]

Always interesting, all that past is good for me , I love it, Tks mate Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

[@glennmurphy1820]

Its amazing how you find the privy in all the brush and waste.

[@alisonmary1443]

My fav was definitely the horseradish bottle, the shape and colour. Throughout the videos I adore the ink bottles, lovely little things. Thank you so much, 3.30am here coffee and a new upload 👍

[@juneyshu6197]

Beautiful site.

[@philipcallicoat3147]

Glad to see you wearing gloves 👍..... Good hunting 🤓!!!! Appreciate you showing us the clean bottles... Makes a lot of difference. You didn't show us the clean bottles until this podcast!!!!! Thanks for letting me see what you found all cleaned up...🕊️

[@mavericktheiceman1155]

Looks good guys. Keep up the great work!!!

[@Krawlergarage]

You guys hardly ever find silverware or flatware or bottle stoppers. Do you have any ideas of why. I love that you are pulling these bottles and dishes out.

[@jerrysadventures8952]

Always a pleasure watching you

[@budboggess5575]

I just saw the marble...could be Akro Agate...or Westite!...now you are In my neck of the woods..

[@BestSellers2122]

Nice!

[@jeffclark2725]

Great video, you always make sure to have permission to do all the digging, after you do the research

[@staylor5687]

My great grandparents moved to South Dakota back in the 1880s. I often wonder if these public privies at train stations, etc, were ever used by my family. Could that have been their tomato seeds? 🤣

[@cynthiaphillips1474]

I have a marble shift knob in my just like the one you dug up in my 1930 Model A! They have value...

[@richardbeee]

Another great dig. We talking about you and your channel all over. Keep it up.

[@joshuabigdog7009]

This is the coolest channel!! Have you thought of using ground penetrating radar??

[@mygrammieis]

Very very interesting finds👍💯👍💯🔦🔦🔦

[@detecting_with_matt3643]

Love the videos! I’ve always been into metal detecting but now I also have a huge interest in bottle digging because of you! I’m wondering how hard it is to probe an area like that, or in general haha. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@shepherd4406]

Thanks for posting. That must have been frustrating.

[@alleny695]

I really enjoy your channel. How do you pay for your travels and the research involved in finding your locations? Have you found anything of great value? Thanks once again for your channel.

[@mygrammieis]

Very very interesting finds 🧐🔦💯💯

[@jamesonheche2899]

Well at least you got a few cool finds. that's a lot of digging

[@corrinnesundquist3993]

Love to watch your channel ❤️

[@emilyniez7908]

Always happy when your video pops up. How do you store your finds?

[@graceroscommon]

I'd like the one from Sioux City! My wifie is from there but we now live in Ireland!

[@kathysenn7664]

I like to imagine there was milk or cream in the pitcher-- coffee or tea available to the passengers or loved ones waiting for long awaited arrivals.. men waiting for mail order brides? I wonder if cows were kept nearby to provide fresh cream? the small drugstore bottles may have been men's or women's colognes used during the trip, dropped in the privvy upon arrival? I can smell dainty hankies and handkerchiefs tucked in vest pockets and handbags. thanks for taking us back in time guys..

[@beckyluvstoscrapnsew]

Do you have some headlamps you could wear so we have more lighting in the holes ? Bit hard to see much at times …very much enjoy your videos 👍👍👍🇦🇺 And of course jut after I comment the lighting improves…lol….typical

[@thedudenetwork]

nice

[@SassyKat7985]

What do you do with the bottles you find? Have you ever gone into Montana???

[@chadi2402]

I’ve recently come across your channel and I really enjoy your content. I’m curious, how you know where to dig. I’m a plumber by trade. I’m familiar with a probing rod and I’m impressed if all you are doing is probing. I have some experience with metal detecting. I also see that you have maps. Are these maps public info or do you have to know someone? I would like to do something like this here in South Texas. Any info you would be willing to share would be great. Thanks. Great content. I really think about this kinda stuff all day since I’ve been watching your videos. Cheers.

[@stratocaster1greg]

I like your videos. I hope your alright after that bottle exploded in another video. Maybe wear safety glasses. Take care and Thanks for sharing.

[@PaintedTurtle001]

It's interesting. I've seen most, if not all, of your videos and i don't recall you finding anything but clear bottles. If you watch Souther Searchers digs, he's bringing up cobolt blue, amber, green, etc. Do you know there's ao few colored bottles in your area?

[@patty4091]

Better get one of those straw brooms, a small one. It may save wear and tear on the fingers of your gloves!

[@mpoulin]

And as a follow up question, why are there so many bottles in these pits? Was it a normal disposal practice or was it more people not caring (as some people don't care when littering today, for example) or was it just people not caring because who's going to check if they threw a bottle into an outhouse pit?

[@soniak2865]

Do you also Metal Detect? Thanks for the video!!

[@mpoulin]

How can you tell what was an outhouse pit are home pits typically dug out or just ones close to commercial operations?

[@gloriapaige7877]

What do you do with the broken pieces? Is there any value in broken stoneware if you have the makers mark?

[@BelowthePlains]

you know im not really sure. we usually put most of it back unless its very ornate. if its ornate and we can find all or at least over 90% of it, we will donate it to the museum or historic society in the area.. we have a video at a place called prospect place and we found a plate from the 1840s, (most of it anyways) and we offered everything we found to the museum in yankton and they just wanted the plate.. but the stoneware crocks can be worth some money, but usually not much if they are even slightly damaged. hope that answered your question, the truth is it just all depends. thanks for watching!

[@TheRealSlowhand]

Can you tell me what you mean when you "Probe" an area... Are you using some type of steel rod or just test dig... Thank you for sharing....

[@uptoolate2793]

So basically you're looking for outhouse pits. How do you do such a good job finding them?

[@BelowthePlains]

well,.. we use those maps at the beginning of the videos.. they usually show what building were where, and which lots were vacant.. and those maps are super accurate, with the lot lines, so we can usually narrow it down to a spot that we can probe in a few hours.. then when we decide where to look, we just use probe rods and probe up and down the low until we find it.. that honestly sucks, its really hard work, and really boring.. its harder than digging, honestly.. and you never even know if you are gonna find anything.. but another thing we do, is we look at these old birds eye photos usually taken from the tops of grain silos, and sometimes you can see the outhouses in some backyards.. there are a few other techniques too, but we usually just probe til we hit something.. the pits have a very unique feel, hard on tip, then crunchy for about 6 inches, then super soft for at least a few feet.. the crunch is a dead giveaway, they would throw ash on the tops of pits, then put clay over it, and this would help everything break down, and keep the ground firm.. well thanks for watching, hope that was easy enough to understand!

[@johnsnow6586]

Hmm. I've never seen a green salad dressing bottle. Very pretty

[@donaldnorris2570]

I was wandering how do you get your maps

[@dopeytripod]

most towns have historical society or even city hall u can look thru books on what was where years ago

[@thecentralscrutinizer304]

How do you find the outhouse pits the way you do? Some kind of sonar scanning? Very interesting channel, really thought provoking. I love to see what once was.

[@santiagodsl]

Nice videos! highly interesting. It would be great to see more; maybe your whole collection and explaining a bit what do you do with all the pieces you find, also explanations on how you probe and how do you know what age the pieces are. Just some ideas of the content I would like to see from you, hope it's useful. Also, from reading the comments, a lot of people has the same questions as me.

[@davidpook5778]

Did u figure out what was in the bottle a couple months ago the exploded in your hand?

[@curtisgrehn7814]

Why are seeds found in privy digs?

[@libertymichel7649]

In one of his his videos I believe he said from peoples poo 😂

[@joanlittle4235]

That Marble is a steering knob for a car. granny

[@user-ox9lo2nj9q]

What do you do with all these bottles you find?

[@TexasTimelapse]

I hope someone ran a metal detector over that site after the skid steer. I've found some killer tokens and coins at train depots.

[@matthewbrown3477]

Ever find any coins or discarded firearms? Pistols/Rifles. Found some of that in VA

[@scottmiller-cd1ip]

What happens when you come across a big ant bed?

[@johnlord8337]

IT IS TO BE NOTED - forgotten elsewhere and never posted !!! * TWO IMPORTANT EMBOSSINGS * A G SMALLEY of Boston Mass was the 1898 patent trademark holder of the "FULL MEASURE" embossing of anything saying FULL MEASURE, pharma, med, whiskey flask, extract coffin bottles etc. Smalley also (1905) held trademark possession of the WARRANTED embossing as well. So these bots are all Smalleys - whether he self-produced or franchise contracted them out for manufacturing. So FULL MEASURE dates from (1898-), and WARRANTED dates from (1905-). These go along with the Bottle not sold (1880s-) and Registered (1890s-) dates - and the 1933 "Federal Law alcohol bottles). Taken in context with aqua, amber, and clear glass ... and glowing clear glass ... this can help divide up glow and no-glow bots and these embossings for further clarity of time period.

[@juneyshu6197]

Accidentally hit wrong thumb, I fixed it I think! Blessings.

[@clidemorrow8786]

Cool drugstore bottle.thanks for sht

[@oleradiodudea.m.4735]

Your YT title posting says it's SOUTH Dakota and your narrative voice over at 1:31 says NORTH Dakota. Which is it?

[@budboggess5575]

I've been wondering....do you run a metal detector over this stuff...surely there must be the occasional coin...

[@budboggess5575]

...and yes I know...don't call you Shirley...🤔😆

[@chasetonga]

It’s crazy how a whole town can just disappear.

[@fredbazoo]

Wow.....No wonder prohibition had its supporters....People drank Whiskey like fishes....

[@shawnmccomb1843]

So the people back then knew to dig that far for their out houses and just tossed the trash in there too?

[@shawnmccomb1843]

Y does he find everything about 6 feet down?

[@2435rats]

Do you all ever run across old beer can dumps? How about some earliest Coca Cola bottles?

[@afterthought72]

Just curious and probably a stupid question ..Did they throw all there garbage in the outhouse ? Or just the liquor bottles they were trying to hide from their significant other ?🤔😆 I see the things you pull up the wife is putting on cold cream while doing her nightly visit and the men are drinking while doing his ! I get more entertainment watching you dig up stuff in an outhouse than any woman should lol 😂

[@BelowthePlains]

haha you know i dont exactly know for sure, but im 98% sure they were just doing it because it was a trash pit.. they probably didnt wanna leave glass lying around, to break and end up cutting someone or a horse or something.. they burned everything else that would burn, but stuff like metal and glass, it seems, they threw down the outhouse.. but i do wonder if yeah, someone was hiding some addiction and disposing of them.. ive seen a few pits that were pretty suspicious! not a stupid question at all!, actually a quite valid one. and as there is no way to know for sure, i just assume its the trash thing.. there isnt really any records that ive been able to find, about outhouses or methods of trash disposal.. im sure it just wasnt something they needed to document, and im sure they never thought their items would be dug up one day and be considered valuable! thanks for watching! be sure to follow us on facebook if you got one, its just "below the plains" thanks!

[@afterthought72]

@@BelowthePlains Already added you on on Facebook 😁 I was scrolling your page I've ran out of stuff to watch lol looks like I'll be watching it for the second time .. That's always a good sign 😉

[@Missangie827]

Lord Calvert is some vile tasting ughhh-my daddy used to drink that when he had an alcohol problem and drank for the effect and not the taste-circa 1970's

[@MrCntryjoe]

outhouses have many coins. use a metal detector

[@joycemusgrave161]

Do you really believe that the pit was no bigger than what you dug.

[@donnaml8776]

I’m confused. Isn’t this the third time you uploaded this video? I don’t understand why you keep uploading videos. You got my hopes up only to find ive seen it twice already,😞 and now a third time. I do get it you’re probably not digging now since we’re headed into cold weather, but reloading ol videos just isn’t right.

[@Limastudent]

I looked it up and they said to please wear a mask because of air born particles and I see you do wear gloves. Just a mom looking out.

[@jimmysinclair6943]

Nice!

[@MikeMcInroe]

Where and how did you learn to grid so well? Seems like you always are able to find the out house and older pits even though they are under some hard and rocky ground? Mike in wet Florida