Go BottomWhat s the strangest thing you ve dug up
 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2004-04-10 82667
I came across an area where something was buried on our property and dug it up. I started digging up clothes, then boots, then a coleman lantern, then a cookstove and old propane bottle, D-cell batteries, some paint cans and an old telephone. Five trash bags full of stuff. I half expected to dig up a body.
This experience got me to wondering. What's the strangest thing you've ever dug up?
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-04-15 83160
How about a 36" pipe wrench minus the wood on the handle! Ken, I think you found some old garbage fill! ....
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 | Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma 
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2004-04-15 83165
My friend's dad was cleaning up an old burnt house, back in the 30's. The old lady that owned the house died in the fire. He found a small chest with a lock on it, buried under the floor. Later that day, when he got home and no one was around, he opened it up. It was full of gold coins.
This was back when the government was recalling gold so he didn't really know what to do. He went to see a Friend that was a jeweler to ask him. His friend melted down the gold and bought it from him. He was paid $7,000 for the gold. Quite a hefty some in the 30's ;) ....
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 | hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa
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2004-04-15 83170
We bought a farm in 1969, neighbors told me that a former owner had a milk can buryed with money in it somewhere in the farmyard. There's hardly a square foot of that yard we have'nt dug up to install a water line, electric conduit, sewer system, building footings, etc., so far my ship hasn't come in. We have found old cisterns, a well with a wood casing, but so far no cash. Frank. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-04-15 83171
Well, there was the trench filled with granite chunks from highway blasting--courtesy of a previous owner of our camp. That was supposed to handle overflow between the septic and gray water pits. Went through a few shear pins digging holesfor a pole building when I hit that trench. Of course the trench filled up with sand and the septic system contaminated the well--before our time though.
Then there was a clay tile that ran from the well to the house. The owner had an idea that he should be able to blow hot air through the tile to thaw out the well line. What happened was the ground level well tile let spring run-off fill up the well, which then ran down the tile into the cellar and drowned his oil furnace. Happened most years according to the oil company.
Then, there's the car. I haven't hit it yet but I know it's there waiting. Old cars were not uncommonly used around here for septic tanks. I used to joke that with the new environmental codes I'd probably have to dig it out and replace the weather stripping every few years. Enviro codes being what they are, we installed a composting toilet and approved gray water pit rather than a new septic system when we demolished the old house. I know where the old trash pit is but haven't even dug there yet--wonder what I'll find. The previous owner reportedly had various and many unusual ideas. ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-04-15 83182
We were prepping an area of a golf course property for some redevelopment, the owner had bought an enormous piece of land and started building a golf course in one corner which fronted on a busy road. As time, money and demand dictated he kept expanding the course. The balance of the property was being farmed by some less than distinguished members of the community.
We decided to access the work area from the back-side because there was a good access trail through a wooded area right to almost exactly where we needed to start our work.
In the course of fixing some a soft spots in what was to be our work yard, the excavator hit something hard, VERY hard. After digging a little more yellow paint sarted to appear, and peices of heavy tarpaulin. When all was said and done we uncovered a total of 11 various peices of heavy equipment, ranging from TLB's to big dozers and excavators. All had been stolen from construction sites in and around Toronto. They had merely dug big holes and driven the stuff in, then tarped them and back-filled them. Presumably they were going to dig them up and dispose of them at some future date.
The 'tenant farmer' denied any knowledge of their existance or how they may have gotten there despite the fact that several neighbours recalled seeing his equipment in there.
The golf course owner & I split 11 very nice rewards from the insurance companies.
Best of luck. ....
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 | shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 848 Wisconsin
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2004-04-15 83188
I was a wee lad when we dug our first trout pond. The dragline uncovered a portion of what looked like a human spine. An archeologist at the University of Wisconsin said it was probably from a young person. It was most likely not a grave as it was in a marsh.
We did unfortunately uncover an Indian grave while making a woods road on the same property. We replaced bones and clay pot as best we could and moved the road around it. There is no way of knowing where a grave is located until too late. This one was just a few inches under the surface.
Dave ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-04-15 83203
The previous owner of my property used to be a tractor dealer so I find all kinds of neat goodies ranging from a 90 lb. cast iron wheel weight to a 1 3/8" chrome plated wrench. I find an occasional civil war bullet or arrowhead too. ....
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| Abbeywoods
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 110 New England 
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2004-04-15 83231
The family business has unearthed the following: a rusted/bent Winchester 30-30 with a tree stump grown around it, many many BB guns, a complete Volkswagon Beetle (1959), a granite foo dog, a granite snow viewing lantern (both foo dog and lantern buried by the homeowner to expedite development of aged patina, homeowner went senile), wing root of an F4U Corsair w/hundreds of bullet holes in it, oil tank with 200 gallons of heating oil (can you say hello EPA), a Sterling AC Generator ( circa 1935), numerous auto engines/transmissions of all makes and types (this seems to be a favorite fill material in New England), and hundreds of hand tools including saws, hammers, wrenches, etc.
Now ask what was the strangest thing to find embedded in a tree! ....
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| Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2004-04-15 83234
Hey Ted, look at pic #6. This tree is off the patio of our bedroom. You can see part of a wagon wheel that the oak has grown around. The axle is sticking out the other side. The other wheel used to be attached but I guess mother nature took it's toll. ....
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| Abbeywoods
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 110 New England
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2004-04-16 83342
Hi Billy, very interesting, but more common than you might think. For some reason, maybe its because when we get really old, what was once important to us loses its value. My Grandfather, the dairy farmer, was a Deere man from the word go. He had a water cooled horizontal magneto sparked Deere circular saw that he used mostly to cut up logs. The blade was turned by a flat belt, the engine really lived up to the "Johnny Popper" name. He loved it, until chain saws made their arrival, then the once often used saw went behind the barn - for thirty years. During that time, the solid steel wheels rusted where they touched the ground, trees grew through the wooden frame, which rotted, and around the engine. The whole thing sat neglected until he "discovered" it in his very old age, about $300 and more than a year later we restored to its past glory. Regardless, I never got over the way the trees grew through and around the entire machine! Thanks for the photo, it sparked fond memories. ....
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