A Dump of Epic Proportions

Are you into the ‘mooood’ for a Holy Cow digging story?

By Eddie DeBlock

Have you ever come up on one of those places — like a great dump — that really throws you back? Well, this is one of those places, where you never know what you’re going to find. We’ve all envisioned it, probably had dreams of what the ground grips beneath your feet. Gets your adrenaline flowing of the possibilities of finding that one-of-a-kind bottle or artifact.

This dump came to me on a tip from a good friend of mine, Joe Senese, aka the Train Man or Joey Train as fellow digger and frequent writer Ricky Weiner calls him. My first time arriving there was about four years ago. I was in awe of all the glass as far as you could see. At first, nothing spectacular, but patience and persistence would prove otherwise.

For the most part, the majority of what we dug were milk bottles from the ’teens, turn-of-the-century meds and pre-Prohibition beer bottles from a variety of brewers and pharmacies. As the weeks and months went by it got better. Soon enough, we were hitting the good stuff (to us anyways). Oddball things like porcelain bisque doll heads and blob top beers were popping out of the holes. This place was vast and old.

PHOTOS 1-3: W.W. & D. WESTON stoneware jug from Ellenville, N.Y., dug by Steve Cowles. PHOTO 4: A NEW PARAGON fruit jar dug by James Stilson. 1

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Soon enough we would find out. I brought in a friend, James Stilson, aka Jimbo, and we got into some serious digging, sometimes spending the whole weekend away from our families in pursuit of treasure.

Jimbo is a guy who may as well have a rabbit’s foot in his pocket all the time, but not that he didn’t earn that luck. We were finding good stuff together as well. Nice early blob tops and Hutch bottles were almost commonplace at each dig. We really couldn’t be in a better dump. And just when you think you’ve found the oldest thing, BAMM! Something older pops out. Ahhh, the proverbial “latethrow” scenario. Ricky Weiner was the first to remind me of that. Great guy who I consider a friend, with a vast amount of knowledge. I respect his opinion, but this place would prove his theory wrong. Not right away, but over the next two years. So I extended an invite to Ricky and his partner-in-crime, David the Badger Kern, and the stage was set.

The first time they arrived, Badger left with three huge backpacks filled with whatever you could think of. There were other diggers there and Ricky did more of a history talk than dig. Still, we persevered and I kept in contact with Ricky and Badger as well. Badger would make a few more visits over the next year or so and learn the potential of this place.

ABOVE: Sarasina Bitters dug by Eddie DeBlock.

An ELECTRIC FRUIT JAR, dug by James Stilson. Unmarked two-gallon stoneware dug by Eddie DeBlock.

The above piece of stoneware in the field.

Local blobs dug by Eddie DeBlock.

A look at the back of the Goshen Coke bottle. ABOVE: Carmeliter Bitters dug by Eddie DeBlock.

An amber Goshen N.Y. Coca-Cola dug by Eddie DeBlock. Now we were getting into the thick of things. Soon we were hitting bitters, Lash’s, Hostetters, then some scarce-to-rare Sarasina and Carmeliter bitters started coming out. Then, an array of rare fruit jars as well: Electric fruit jars, Millville Atmospherics, a Victory and a host of others. Holy Cow, it was like a dream that you never wanted to end! Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it did.

Soon we were hitting some early stoneware. Crocks, whiskey jugs, jars and stoneware beers were starting to come out. Not on every dig mind you, but often enough we were able to put a date on this dump. A lot of time and deep digging told the tale. As in Ricky’s article on “Pit Pirates” at Badger’s dump, we were soon faced with the same issue. Cherry pickers were invading the place. We were able to get that under control through a group effort without any issues. Respect your fellow diggers’ hard work and have some morals about you.

So we have a pretty tight-knit group now and kinda watch over each other’s pits. Jimbo and I have taken turns in having surgeries and being laid up for months, so we’ve both missed out on some dig time the past year. Enter some new friends, some local, some a bit farther out: Steve Combes, Andy Givens, Eric Steincich (hope it is spelled right). And our new friends, Travis Wyant and Corey Wellings.

A group dig in October 2020. From left to right are: David Kern, Ricky Weiner, Steve Cowles, Eddie DeBlock and Andy Givens. In front is Travis Wyant, who filmed the dig for his Crick Diggers channel on YouTube. This place holds many stately pieces, such as the early amber straight-side Coke from Goshen N.Y., a prize in itself (I have one of three that I know of, with Steve and Jimbo having the others). Every trip out is a new adventure for us in hopes of finding something new, and older than we’ve never seen before. Shards of openpontil medicines have surfaced here and there and a few iron-pontiled sodas, sandpontiled whiskies and turn molds as well. It’s a very special place to dig, and only another digger would understand that.

Soon, though, the saga there may come to an end with land developers encroaching close to the borders of the dump. And there’s talk in the wind that it may be gone forever by mid-2021 and made into a park. But until that day comes, we strive to enjoy ourselves and our companions in the hopes of doing our part to preserve the history of this very special place.

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A special thanks to John Panella, who has supported me and my finds over the past two years.

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