Recently I had the good fortune to discover a 19th century Rochester dump and receive permission to dig in it. I spent many days digging there. So many bottles and other items were found that I considered this area a time capsule from the 19th century. I received a thrill every time I pulled a bottle out of the ground. Many different types of bottles were found, medicine, household, snake oil, liquor, and ink wells. Also other items were uncovered such as clay pipes, doll toys, bone tooth brushes, and small trinkets.

The earliest bottles were dated to the 1860's, the more recent bottles were dated to the 1930's. Listed below are some of the bottles that were found

  • BREWSTER'S FLAVORING EXTRACTS DOVER, NH
  • ATWOOD'S JAUNDICE BITTERS
  • REV NH DOWNS VEGETABLE BALSAMIC ELIXIR
  • THE GREAT DR KILMERS SWAMP ROOT KIDNEY LIVER & BLADDER CURE
  • DR TRUE'S ELIXIR
  • DOCT MARSHALLS CATARRH SNUFF
  • DR MILES RESTORATIVE NERVINE
  • DR TRUES ELIXIR
  • KEMPS BALSAM FOR THROAT AND LUNG

Christina Tilton took the pictures below with her digital camera.

Looking for a few good bottles
Just pulled two bottles out of the ground

Looking for a few good bottles
All cleaned up and on display

Before the Bic Pen - Inkwells
Lots of inkwells - note the cobalt blue inkwell

Clay pipe bowls, complete clay pipe and an old tooth brush

Rochester bottles
Rochester, NH Lightbodys Pharmacy bottles

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