The Find of a Lifetime was Uncovered in the Middle of a Small Town.

Рет қаралды 33,239

Күн бұрын

Tom Askjem excavates a privy behind where a pool hall once stood in Balfour, North Dakota. #mudlarking #bottledigging #history #treasure #wildwest #metaldetecting #archaeology

Пікірлер: 226

@lorrie5422 6 ай бұрын

You're not just digging for bottles. You're digging for history, culture, traditions. Every pit tells a story.

@FootClan5281 5 ай бұрын

Man, you are some sort of genius. I remember finding a sunken in spot when I was the kid around this pond that we used to go bass fishing, in New Hampshire. One day I started digging and I found so many bottles. It was amazing. I had a huge collection with some really good blue glass and small unique bottles. My mother made me throw it all away when we moved to Colorado. It should’ve at least been donated to the local museum, and I still regret not doing more with it to this day. I’m sure there was plenty more to dig. I’m sure it is still there.

@FootClan5281 5 ай бұрын

Oh yeah, there was also an old chimney standing in the woods from where an old Homestead was. I bet that had some good stuff to metal detect around it. I bet it is still a good spot.

@nicholassweazey987 27 күн бұрын

88 plus bottles of history= 1 is historic. well done TOM==ALWAYS WITH PASSION, A PURE JOY T0 SEE NOW, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

@captjeff2321 6 ай бұрын

Brother Tom i laterally cheered when that soda bottle came out. Sloppy as that was all those bottles. Keep the faith Thank you for taking us along! God save our Republic!

@twindiggersminnesotapamandpat 6 ай бұрын

Tom, congratulations on the rare American Bottle Works bottle, score! So much ground water and roots, you have the patients of a saint. So nice to see you happy and excited. Loving your new channel set up. Sure wish we lived closer, I have a couple privies that need locating😀. Take care.👍😀👏

@JeffreyLee63 6 ай бұрын

Its great to have you back on the tube Tom you were the first guy i ever saw do it, sorry it was so blank, slick or unemboss this time, but that soda was the bomb so happy you found that after all the water, mud, and roots you were fighting. Its great to have a man like you showing the old America's good side and not so good side but it was really hard back then, thanks Tom it means alot to all of us.

@samsager1 6 ай бұрын

Was an honor to be part of this excavation!!! That soda is amazing!!! Thank you for letting me be a part of your work Tom!! Great dig!!

@alanatolstad4824 6 ай бұрын

HIya Sam! I'm so happy to know you got to be involved!

@jimmylarge1148 5 ай бұрын

U the camera guy or something?

@samsager1 5 ай бұрын

@@jimmylarge1148 I was that day

@markjones6181 6 ай бұрын

Man i always feel for you when the water table is up and you're having to dig them bottles out of the water, nice find Tom Stay Up, and Healthy brother.....🫡🔥🔥❤️👍🏽💯

@robertbothwell2478 6 ай бұрын

Hi Tom, first time I have commented. So pleased you were rewarded for all your efforts in the water with that embossed soda bottle. Love your channel - from Victoria Australia.

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@maureenfitzgerald1895 6 ай бұрын

Find of a lifetime is right! The ONLY intact bottle known. Wow. 🎉🎉

@susandelaney9358 6 ай бұрын

I absolutly love watching your videos and get excited with you when you find unique ones

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@ladybusdriver62 6 ай бұрын

@@TomAskjem.LostHorizonswhat platform do you sell your bottles on? eBay esty Amazon

@Digger-rn9yh 6 ай бұрын

Awesome video, I love that rare soda bottle. The only intact one known, I wonder what the value is... Awesome find!!!

@beverlyhanlon8376 6 ай бұрын

You certainly did a good job Tom. Wet and muddy. Dedicated for sure. Take care.

@beverlyhanlon8376 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for liking my comment. Take care

@detecting_with_matt3643 6 ай бұрын

I had NO idea that you changed your channel over! I just found out! Was wondering why you haven’t posted in a month or so! Glad I found this channel!!

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Please subscribe!

@dyannejohnson6184 6 ай бұрын

You are very knowledgeable in the history of an area through its bottles…very interesting

@Hamingja6266 6 ай бұрын

🎉 always look forward to the weekend knowing there will be a new video!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉

@pixielated2003 6 ай бұрын

Me too

@tammyfreeman6802 6 ай бұрын

All I have to say is what dedication you have,Tom. Thank you for mucking around in all that muddy water, I appreciate your time and effort. ❤

@dirtclodmetaldetecting 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on that rare bottle!

@sheltdog8463 6 ай бұрын

Great finds! You definitely need a good pair of muck boots and a cordless pump to keep them holes manageable.

@Thetimecapsuletx 6 ай бұрын

I think you need a wetsuit for some of these pits. This one was a good find even though so many were unmarked. My whole yard is up on a slight hill and wherever I dig for planting a tree or in my garden, I come across bits of pottery and glass, wire and metal objects. They dug a trench next to my yard and I’d run over and look for bottles, especially after a rain. They all date to the turn of last century. I am guessing this area was the town dump and they filled it in before building homes in the 1950’s.

@terrencebuller7676 6 ай бұрын

I know the digging was brutal but the finds were great. Nice work Tom. Take care and stay safe 👍

@COUNTTRUMPULA Ай бұрын

Holy Carple Tunnel!! That's one heck of a haul. Awesome 🇺🇲

@deloradeabel8487 6 ай бұрын

Tom looking down at you it looks like your pit hole is the shape of an old bath tub & your soaking in muddy water after a hard days work in the old west!love the history of a good dig,My favorite part of digging was figuring out who used & what they used the finds for!Quite a haul guys!

@AnneWilliams-u5s 6 ай бұрын

That was such fun to watch, Tom and your showers must be the best things on earth!😅😅😅❤

@DebraJean196 5 ай бұрын

Gotta admit I’m glad I don’t have to clean out the shower stall after he’s done lol

@04Fingers 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for continuing your productions. I really enjoy your channel

@KaK0 6 ай бұрын

Hi Tom, glad you found a soda bottle. Great dig

@VolcanoTimeLapse 6 ай бұрын

Rough work man. Nice job Tom.

@ABeautfulMess 5 ай бұрын

Way to go..time for a cold one..lol

@pakedermsfavs9080 6 ай бұрын

Hi honey im home ......did you have a good day dear ? 😮😮😮.😮😮 Great dig Tom . I hope those clothes dried out eventually. I love a good " what have i gotten myself into .

@marymuller7110 5 ай бұрын

Tom, love watching your videos. You may have covered this at another time but if so please direct me to it. My question is, what do you do with what you find? I would love to see how it is all cleaned up and possibly displayed. You must do a lot of research. Where do you get the schematics you use.? Have you ever made a video of the entire process on both sides of the dig?

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 5 ай бұрын

Some are kept, sold, given to the property owner and donated to museums, if no one is interested we throw them back. I first use old maps/pictures to line up where buildings stood long ago. From there I use probe rods to feel for objects and compaction differences

@beverlysettle8235 6 ай бұрын

Amazing find!! Congrats!

@Gaming.with.Benjamin 6 ай бұрын

You should make a video of your collection! Great video

@DebraJean196 5 ай бұрын

In a response to a comment on an earlier video on this channel he stated he sold off his collection because he was always worried about it getting stolen while he was on the road! Now he only keeps a few select pieces he can safely secure when he is away.

@lindamccolley 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on your ABW find! I love watching your videos, thank you so much for sharing!

@janelchambers6791 6 ай бұрын

So glad you found that soda, outstanding

@fiorenzaattanasio4796 5 ай бұрын

Thank you ❤

@smsm6255 6 ай бұрын

What an interesting job you have! Thanks for using such a good camera to record this. It’s like I’m in the pit with you when I’m sitting on my couch in 67 degree comfort.

@primitivetennesseechicks8740 6 ай бұрын

Love the new channel. So happy I found you. Your digs are amazing!

@Croppermom17 6 ай бұрын

I know the water digs are super messy for you, but I really enjoy them…stuff comes out so clean!

@jenn1174 6 ай бұрын

Phenomenal find! Thank you for sharing your passion with us.

@BBQNBLUES 6 ай бұрын

*WOW* That wasn't just a Honey Hole... that was a HOLY HOLE👏👏

@patty4091 6 ай бұрын

Wow, you sure found a lot. Nice haul!

@davidlundy2312 6 ай бұрын

Nice productive hole in the ground! Maybe you should consider picking up metal detecting for all the sites you find too. I imagine there's TONS of valuable, non-valuable, useless, unidentifiable TREASURES around there. Thanks for another GREAT video!

@wadehendryx7378 6 ай бұрын

Another great dig. Looking forward to the next one. Take care.😊😊

@Donna-f9q3f 6 ай бұрын

You’re amazing Tom!!

@amytemple6469 6 ай бұрын

Great video! And Congratulations on the "only known" example. Very, very cool. I've learned so much about my own collection that I inherited from my dad. His were mostly river bottom finds and finds when out mushroom hunting. Thanks for teaching us along the way...👍✌️

@CatCmdr 6 ай бұрын

Wow! What a payload of amazing finds! Glad you got that one-of-a-kind soda bottle. Yay, You!! 😄💙

@MarciaShackelford-st5bt 6 ай бұрын

The soda was the pay off for having to deal with all that muck!

@HobbyMoose79 6 ай бұрын

You’re a historian doing what so many of us should be doing for this country.bring up the old and showing us what history looks like. More power to you, would love to join an expedition sometime. Have fun, thank you for doing what you do. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

@karenwright9123 6 ай бұрын

Congrats! on the find!! Stay well. See ya next time!!

@Beanieweenieable 6 ай бұрын

88 bottle of booze on the wall …88 bottles of booze…take one down pass it around 87 bottle of booze on the wall! What a dirty wet dig Tom, but amazing amount of glass. Thanks for doing all the dirty work!

@bonesdc1 6 ай бұрын

Awesome how you find the pits. Great job thanks for the video

@papeep2694 6 ай бұрын

Another awesome dig

@FloCreasy 6 ай бұрын

I have enjoyed watching this video.

@melindawhite5198 6 ай бұрын

Love your work and your videos Tom

@carolynsimone8647 3 ай бұрын

Great history finds...love that soda...!!! 🥰🥰

@oculusangelicus8978 6 ай бұрын

Wow, you've found enough liquor flasks and prescription bottles to start your own apothecary or bar yourself! Water tables are an ever-changing thing. where some places that were dry one decade, a major flood could come through and alter the topography of the river only slightly and the water table in the region could change with it. Major rivers also have underground aquafers that run along underneath them, and if some kind of construction happens or like I said a flood from a particularly wet year, can change how the underground water table can change without notice, but I can tell you the homes that had basements that were suddenly susceptible to flooding would certainly notice. that happened to my uncle out on his Farm. his basement became so commonly flooded that he simply stopped using it, installed a sump and built an outbuilding that he would use for storage for his. So this outhouse pit would have been likely dry, I can't see then using it if the water table was as high as it was during your excavation, but I could be wrong.

@thepirhomancer9745 6 ай бұрын

Because the soil has been disturbed, privies hold rain water like a bucket, that's why he's able to bail out the water, later in the summer that pit would probably be bone dry.

@atuuschaaw 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for all the effort Tom! ♥

@JustinHawthorne 6 ай бұрын

So, booze and pills? Not much has changed 😅 Thanks for your content, I started digging NJ when I was a kid. Keep on.

@carsetc1794 6 ай бұрын

incredible!

@jeffchandler3390 6 ай бұрын

You should get a battery powered sump pump. It would make your digs in wet areas much more enjoyable.

@andrewclayterman6230 5 ай бұрын

i thought that.. or a gas powered one

@DebraJean196 5 ай бұрын

Not speaking for Tom, but he’s responded to suggestions like this before saying that he’s tried them but they clog up almost immediately.

@jeffchandler3390 5 ай бұрын

@@DebraJean196 i considered that later. One that he could afford (i have no idea what his financial situation is) probably couldn't do the job. But there are sump pumps that could easily do that.

@DebraJean196 5 ай бұрын

@@jeffchandler3390I’d think the small spaces would limit the pumps he could use, plus if they’re too loud, or suck up too much too fast the logistics of up and down would make it kinda awkward. I’d like to think if he could find one that would work he’d use it. But rewatching the beginning the small space between his feet would drain pretty fast with a pump of any size, and too much power could damage the items he’s trying to salvage maybe? But I’ve really only seen industrial size pumps so I’m just guessing

@1978JonBullock 6 ай бұрын

What an absolute great discovery. Congratulations.

@larisarogers2649 6 ай бұрын

As always fun to get muddy😊

@darrylwillett8359 6 ай бұрын

As always an amazing dig.

@ToddTheJoker 3 ай бұрын

Great dig Tom and crew! thank you

@dannmccord1923 6 ай бұрын

Bless your heart Tom having to dig in that nasty mess. Cant really see what your digging. I feel for you. You will have to have an hot shower after that . but the bottles are awesome. Love the amber bottles. They really are beautiful.❤❤❤❤❤

@daviddarrall9384 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your current video 😊 UK.

@saturdaybasementrock3961 6 ай бұрын

That’s good history Tom the pit tells the story riding in to the pool hall that’s cowboy / pioneer times yep thanks good video

@janloewen3404 6 ай бұрын

Awesome hole you had there. Congrats

@lonniekruse5562 4 ай бұрын

omg , you can do it sir we belive in you lol, what a mess 1:24 mins into the post. good luck LonnieRay p.s. don't drown

@janiesippel225 6 ай бұрын

What a wonderful dig! Too bad you have to deal with all the groundwater.

@Davidrcobb 6 ай бұрын

Tom, you should join me in Washington Georgia sometime. It has Revolutionary war and Civil War history and I have access to the original city dump now on private property.

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

Have you brought an excavator in? Message me on Facebook when you get the chance

@ritahall8653 4 ай бұрын

Great job

@alanatolstad4824 6 ай бұрын

Wow, a 10-holer! I've only ever seen the 2-holers!---Listen to that prairie wind. If you've ever listened to the soundtrack of How The West Was Won, during the intro, an immigrant bemoans he's the only good guy on the prairie, where the wind blows so hard, you have to walk sideways to keep from flying!

@geneturk2299 6 ай бұрын

As always great video

@Christine-fg2re 6 ай бұрын

Glad I found your new channel. Dude, who does your laundry? That was one messy dig.

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

I usually spray everything off with a power washer before putting them in the washing machine haha

@Christine-fg2re 6 ай бұрын

Brilliant

@pennylane4197 6 ай бұрын

I was glad to see you enjoying your Spa day with a nice mud bath. Lol

@bingo7799 7 күн бұрын

You must have a heck of a bottle collection.

@debbiestumm511 6 ай бұрын

😂 you just said water table! That answered that! 😂

@kermitmawyer1743 6 ай бұрын

😊🎉🎉 good. Job

@jameshaselmayer8492 5 күн бұрын

Getting loaded.😂 back in those day thats what determined the boys from the men. Looks like that joint was a lot of fun...

@jeffclark2725 5 ай бұрын

Who would have thought all that was there except the people that put it there, thumbs up, great video

@judyhenry9378 5 ай бұрын

Tom what are the prices you get for these bottles

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 5 ай бұрын

The prices are all over the board. Most are “recycle grade”. I once dug a military fort and got army hospital department bottles that sold for thousands of dollars

@georgepmr 6 ай бұрын

cool!

@Omegaej1 17 күн бұрын

50% liquor bottles 50% pharmacy bottles, those guys were lit up 😂

@rogerdudra178 6 ай бұрын

Greetings from the BIG SKY. There's a bunch of places falling down here, too.

@oculusangelicus8978 6 ай бұрын

This excavation highlights one aspect of American culture at the time that was of serious concern. Alcoholism was rampant in America during the 1800s into the early portion of the 20th century. So much so that the government came out with prohibition. Alcoholism was a very serious problem. it destroyed lives and ruined families. Women were sick and tired of having to deal with husbands who would spend their income on booze instead of feeding the family and the sheer number of alcohol flasks in this pit shows how much volume was being consumed. And every business was trying to cash in on it. Bars would give away highly salty foods to encourage more drinking so pickled foods were always on hand, and like you said pool halls were charging an entrance fee and then giving the alcohol to the patrons, but charged for food, but once again, salty snacks were always free, like Peanuts and salt preserved meats, as well as pickled foods. Places like pool halls and bars/pubs were everywhere. in an 1800s city it wouldn't be uncommon for a city block to have upwards of 10 or more bars, pubs, pool halls and every other sort of business that purveyed food and booze. It was a serious problem to the point that America was dubbed the land of alcoholics. Europeans and other nations around the world were appalled by the state of America's working class. Many counties would go dry and lock down any loopholes to prevent alcohol from being sold, but the business owners didn't care about these men's families but were only after the massive amount of money being generated by alcoholism. The one thing about Prohibition that was a benefit was that it brought a large amount of awareness to the public about how bad alcoholism was in America and it began to change society as religion teamed up with women's groups to make young men aware of how alcohol was ruining families and that young women were refusing to entertain men who imbibed in booze, Plus Alcoholics Anonymous was created around the same time and was enormously effective in getting former alcoholics to drop their addiction, and that same process is still an effective way for anyone with ANY kind of addiction, to end their abuse of whatever it was they were addicted to.

@KolbeHoeper 6 ай бұрын

That's true too but it would save their life since the water would get contaminated. Alcohol was to also help clean wounds,medicine etc! It was one the gifts from the Catholic Monks which is a blessing.

@moose.knuckle 6 ай бұрын

Prohibition was also very beneficial for the Kennedy family.

@alanatolstad4824 6 ай бұрын

The town I live in was originally designed as a dry town. At one point, there was a local bar (in modern terms it wasn't much more than a glorified shack). The women rallied behind a firebrand of a woman & went to the store and bought a length of rope. They took that rope & encircled the building, and with one mighty heave, pulled the building over! A piece of that rope is on display at our museum (which was originally a Carnegie library).

@chasetonga 6 ай бұрын

Prohibition was greatly influenced by religion.

@thecatsmeowfromny 6 ай бұрын

A city close to where I grew up was once in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most bars on one street. The city was North Tonawanda and the street was Oliver St.

@sheltdog8463 6 ай бұрын

Ever thought about switching to a small headed shovel instead of that cement trial. Like a foxhole shovel. I bought a small head shovel with a 5ft handle made of fiberglass, so I cut the handle down to around 22 inches and for the shovel head I marked out some teeth on the sides for cutting through roots and sharpened the teeth and the shovel head itself with my angle grinder, I also cut the teeth pattern with that angle grinder. I designed it for my metal detecting adventures and wasn’t even thing about paying $60 bucks and up for a detecting shovel.

@berkleywoman 6 ай бұрын

Tom you need a pair of waders & a sump pump for these wet digs.

@garbagearchive 6 ай бұрын

I miss the old music 😢

@TomAskjem.LostHorizons 6 ай бұрын

I plan to record some music of my own to put in the videos. The old music was property of KZbin and can’t be shared on any other platforms, which limited the reach.

@James-f6f5g 2 ай бұрын

@@TomAskjem.LostHorizonsI'm totally good with no music. I don't live in a soap opera.

@lindalee9868 Ай бұрын

a little bit of a mud bath, love the finds. what do you do with the bottles

@cdd4248 6 ай бұрын

With the number of Rx bottles and liquour flasks someone was feeling no pain.

@louyeo6571 6 ай бұрын

Tom! Credit for persisting with this dig - you must have been desperate for a shower after this one, wouldn’t have wanted to be responsible for the laundry. Amazing, the lack of variety in this pit.