Backhoe Mystery Hole

   / Mystery Hole #1  

SEB92

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
35
Location
Findlay, Ohio
Tractor
BX25
Bought my BX25 at the end of last year and have not had a chance to use the backhoe yet. Well the weather finally took a change for the better and it was time! We had one of our farms resurveyed and it grew about 15 feet along one side so I went down to dig out the corner post (3" metal pipe with about a 2' by 3' chunk of concrete on the bottom) and put in a new one at the new corner. Well as i was taking the old post back to the quarry my father and I noticed a large hole and thought it was just a tile blow out. This is somewhat common and part of the reason we bought the BX25 so we could dig up and fix them. So we started digging down to find the tile and patch it, but it was never found. instead at 3 feet it started filling in with water and we found large chunks of wood at about 5 feet down. None of our tile in any of our fields are below 36". My father and grandfather think it was either an old cistern or an old structure from the oil boom days (this farm had 13 oil wells on it). I know you guys like pictures so I tried to take a couple.
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   / Mystery Hole #2  
It looks like it may be an old well that was filled in and boards put on top. Settling of the fill over many years may have created a void under the board and they finally gave way due to rot and the top cover of soil finally settled down. The muddy bottom looks really soft. Of course it could be a sink hole with a huge underground cavern full of Chupacabra vampire bat creatures that is about to swallow up you and your tractor.
 
   / Mystery Hole #3  
As mentioned, the Rat Hole?

Sump pit?:confused:

Just ground water above a clay layer finding it's way to the surface?:confused:

Be interesting at what you would find about 50 feet away.:D
 
   / Mystery Hole #4  
Of course it could be a sink hole with a huge underground cavern full of Chupacabra vampire bat creatures that is about to swallow up you and your tractor.

Now that has the be the scariest sounding thing yet! Are you trying to give us all nightmares? :p
 
   / Mystery Hole #5  
Did you think turning those last 2 photo's upside down would drain the water?:D Tell you what with all the recent sinkhole news lately, you were giving me the willy's by standing so close to the hole.

James K0UA
 
   / Mystery Hole #6  
I see a cemetery across the next field, got to be a Zombie Chup trying to dig its way out.

I don't think it would be unusual this time of year around Findlay to dig down three feet and have the hole fill with water. The boards do look sawn which means someone put them there for a purpose.

I vote for an old cistern or hand dug well. Maybe there is a seep in that area that settlers noticed and put to use? Do you have any aerial photos of the area? If that is a wet area in the field, it should show up.
 
   / Mystery Hole
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I see a cemetery across the next field, got to be a Zombie Chup trying to dig its way out.

I don't think it would be unusual this time of year around Findlay to dig down three feet and have the hole fill with water. The boards do look sawn which means someone put them there for a purpose.

I vote for an old cistern or hand dug well. Maybe there is a seep in that area that settlers noticed and put to use? Do you have any aerial photos of the area? If that is a wet area in the field, it should show up.

I do not have any aerial photos but I can tell you down the road about 2 miles we own another farm with an flowing artesian well that runs constantly
 
   / Mystery Hole #8  
Did you think turning those last 2 photo's upside down would drain the water?:D Tell you what with all the recent sinkhole news lately, you were giving me the willy's by standing so close to the hole.

James K0UA

I thought he'd decided to dig it out completely and that was the China end. :D
 
   / Mystery Hole #9  
Don't know if you're anywhere near a river, but these guys found an old steamboat in a farm field.

Steamboat Arabia Museum
 
   / Mystery Hole #10  
Had a neighbor fall through an old wooden septic tank a few years back.....that was a sh__y experience. Be careful till you know what's underneath that hole! Good luck!:thumbsup:
 
 
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