What did I find on the farm?

[oosik]

An old wooden box ( apple box size ) packed full of old dry cell batteries. Remember the kind that were used in the farmer phones. 2 1/2 inches in diameter - about 8 inches tall.

How unusual. Then I realized the old homesteader did not have electricity. These old batteries powered the radio he had.

 

[Egon]

Trace chain hardware.

 

[Carl_NH]

Horse pulling harness hardware links, as Egon indicated.

 

[Jstpssng]

Horse pulling harness hardware links, as Egon indicated.

Trace chain hardware.

This would make sense. My grandfather did have a work horse until after the Depression ( the old tack is still in the barn where he put it when he sold the horse).

 

[WoodChuckDad]

An old wooden box ( apple box size ) packed full of old dry cell batteries. Remember the kind that were used in the farmer phones. 2 1/2 inches in diameter - about 8 inches tall.

How unusual. Then I realized the old homesteader did not have electricity. These old batteries powered the radio he had.

How did they charge those batteries?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

An old oil tank from the late 1800's on our farm hillside

 

[Carl_NH]

Buckeye - why do you think this was an "oil tank" as oil was not really in use until early 1900's? They used to build oak barrels and tanks and coat or line them with pitch for a water tank?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Buckeye - why do you think this was an "oil tank" as oil was not really in use until early 1900's? They used to build oak barrels and tanks and coat or line them with pitch for a water tank?

Our farm is full of old oil wells from the late 1800s into early 1900s. 30 some on the farm.
there was an old pump house on the farm that had cables going to all the wells to pump them from a central point.
One tank like this was used for water for our old house that l lived in for a few years. No plumbing in the house.

 

[mikester]

sickle mower tooth

 

[oosik]

Oh - also. All the old homestead out-buildings were in a group. I'm slowly clearing that area out.

The old homesteader - Mr Jake Martin - didn't know a nail or spike that he didn't like. I don't DARE drive any vehicles into that area.

Clearing that area also includes finding and removing all the spikes and nails. So far - my collection is a pile big enough to almost fill a "deep dish" wheel barrow.