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Appreciation post: Found a 19th century button in my backyard after ignoring the 'obvious' spot for years
I have this little patch of dirt behind my garage, always figured it was just fill from when the house was built in the 50s. Never bothered with it, always focused on the old foundation line near the oak tree. Last spring, after a heavy rain, I saw a tiny glint of white back there. Spent an hour with a trowel and a sifter, and bam, a perfect porcelain button with an anchor design. Turns out the property was a farmstead way before my neighborhood went in. I was looking for the 'important' stuff and missed the everyday things right under my nose. Anyone else have a find that came from a place you totally wrote off?
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faithf776mo ago
Honestly that's so cool, but gotta say I think you're still looking at it wrong. That button is the important stuff, it's a direct link to a real person. Tbh the big foundation stones are just, well, stones. The small find tells the actual story.
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wright.michael4mo ago
Knew a guy once who found a single horseshoe nail from the 1800s in his backyard. He spent weeks digging up the whole area looking for more clues, but that nail was it. Turned out his house was built over an old blacksmith's spot and that nail was the only piece of the whole shop left. The big concrete foundation he found later was just a 1950s patio poured over everything.
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the_jennifer6mo ago
But what if the big stones set the stage? The button is the main character, sure, but you need the setting too. Both matter.
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