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Rockford Area Historical Society

Rockford, Minnesota

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Board
    • Executive Director
    • Volunteers
    • Our Partners
  • Rockford Area History
    • Artifacts/Memorabilia
    • Businesses
      • Rockford Drive Inn
    • Churches
    • Government
    • Greenwood
    • Maps
    • People
      • Memorial Day Spotlights
        • Aaron Sprague Ames
        • Albert E. Hohenstein
        • William Henry Hopkins
        • Armin Christ Lieder
        • Fredrich Mutterer
        • Walter Mutterer
        • Benjamin Smith Parmeter
        • Harvey (Spud) Schulze
        • Lillian Walker
        • Others
      • Stork Family Papers
    • Pop Culture
      • Past Stories – Tidbits
    • Railroad
    • River
      • Bridges
      • Floods
    • Schaar Photo Collection
      • 1880 Photos
      • 1890 Photos
      • 1900 Photos
      • 1910 Photos
      • 1920 Photos
      • 1930 Photos
      • 1940 Photos
      • Unknown
    • Schools
    • Sports
  • Ames-Florida-Stork House
    • Visit the House
      • Public Hours
      • Public Tours
      • Book a Tour
      • Rockford Walking Tour
    • History of the House
      • About the Families
        • Ames Family
        • Florida Family
          • Diaries
        • Stork Family
      • About the Collections
    • The Beginnings
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Donations
    • Memberships
  • Events
    • Privy Dig 2019
    • Thousand Hearts – Crow River Serve Day 2020
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Donations

Privy Dig 2019

2019 Privy Dig Finds

In 2018, we dug one hole in the Stork House yard, where an outhouse used to be.  Why would we do that you ask?  Because, outhouses were also where garbage was thrown, and sometimes yesterday’s garbage is today’s treasure!  In 2019 we dug four additional holes.  Below are some of our finds, along with their stories.  Watch for future information on new displays of Privy Dig finds at the Stork House – to be developed.

Privy Dig 2019 - Medicine Bottle

Medicine Bottle?

We suspect this is a medicine bottle.  What’s so interesting is it still has its stopper on, and is filled with a cream colored powder.  When I asked our diggers what they thought was in it, they said they figured opium.  Think about it: opium used to be used for medicinal purposes.  Ah, but times have changed!

Privy Dig 2019 - Salt or Pepper Shaker

Salt or Pepper Shaker

This piece is a salt or pepper shaker, circa 1910.  It’s a beautiful blue.  Apparently its mate was still usable, as it wasn’t founds in the privy hole.

Privy Dig 2019

We also dug out another intact bottle, similar to those shown at the left.  It also was stopped and had an amber liquid in it.  Best guess?  Alcohol.  The assumption would be someone (a husband?) would have brought it home and someone (the wife?) wasn’t too happy about it.  Into the privy it went!  And now you know the rest of the story!

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