Scouts dig up time behind a 19th-century tavern

Members of Boy Scout Troop 261 earned their archaeology merit badges Sunday, Oct. 5. Ben Jablonski, 13, Bruce Mitchell, 16, and James Pollhein, 14, used handmade sifters to look for items found in the dirt. Photo by Scott Schild Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com Using teamwork and some handmade sifters, the Boy Scouts of Troop 261 in Amherst filtered through time as they cleaned out the privy of a tavern built in the late 1800s.

To earn their archaeology merit badge, the boys, ranging from ages 11 to 17, dug up two areas behind the old tavern, which is located at the corner of Clinton Street and Fillmore Avenue and was closed in 1972.

Privies, often located in the back corners of the properties, were used to store garbage up until the late 1890s, since at the time garbage pickups did not exist, said Peter Jablonski, who advised the group during the excavation.

The group of 20 from Amherst was split into two teams. While four of the boys dug, the group of 16 sifted through the dirt, searching for anything of interest, Jablonski said.

They unveiled an array of findings including old beer caps, buttons, porcelain door knobs, a pair of leather shoes, stems of clay pipes, pieces of brick and coal, clay marbles, an ink bottle and bones from meat served in the tavern.

"They got to work as a team, plus get their merit badges," Jablonski said.

Of the two holes the troop dug up, one appeared to be a well, possibly running as deep as 20 feet, and the other Jablonski said he couldn't identify.

Regardless of whether they hit the privy, the troop still had the opportunity to get a taste of the archeology field, earn their merits and find some pieces from the 19th century.